Search and Rescue
by MeganG45
Summary: Lisa searches for Jackson after her father is kidnapped. Set five months after the movie. Plenty of drama, suspense, adventure and even some possible romance.
1. Chapter One

**Summary: Joe Reisert is kidnapped exactly five months after the red eye flight and Lisa reluctantly teams up with the only man who can help rescue her father: Jackson.**

**I started this story two years ago but I stopped writing it because I got busy. I recently re-watched Red Eye and got inspired to continue. The first and second chapter were written two years ago so don't be put off if the writing doesn't seem so great, I think it gets better in the third chapter. **

**Jackson doesn't appear until a little bit later but he's worth waiting for! **

* * *

_:beep:beep:_

Lisa groaned and rolled over on her stomach.

_:beep:beep:_

Her eyes snapped open and she glared at the alarm clock sitting on her night stand. 4:55 AM. She growled and pushed a button the small alarm clock. She only had two hours of sleep and desperately wanted to drift back to sleep for another two. She considered calling in sick today but she realized it would be pointless. She knew that more than likely someone at the front desk would call and ask for her assistance.

She rubbed her eyes and forced herself sit up and glanced around the dark room. All of a sudden she had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt like she was forgetting something about today. She couldn't remember scheduling anything important for today. What was she forgetting? She tried to shake away the feeling but it wouldn't go away.

She stood up and walked into the bathroom. After rubbing her hand up and down the wall, she found the light switch and flicked it upward. She shielded her eyes from the light that filled the room and walked over to the sink. She stood in front of the mirror and then it came to her.

Today was the fifth month anniversary of the terrifying Red Eye flight from Dallas to Miami.

It's been exactly five months since that dreadful day and Lisa stared at her reflection as she remembered what happened after her father rescued her from Jackson.

* * *

_Lisa stared at a defeated Jackson Rippner lying on the floor of her fathers' house, she turned away and entered the living room. She was physically drained and needed to relax for a moment. She sat down on a comfortable recliner and sighed heavily. Joe Reisert followed her and hoped for an explanation after taking a seat across from Lisa._

_She gave a short summary to her father as she heard sirens approach the house. She promised to fill in the rest after giving her statement to the police. _

_Joe and Lisa walked back toward the front door when the police arrived but stopped dead in their tracks when they discovered that Jackson was no longer lying on the floor. He was gone._

* * *

She worried about Jackson coming back to finish the job but a few days later she heard the local officials announced the capture of Jackson Rippner on the news. The police found an injured man wondering the streets nearby the Reisert house shortly after the attempted assassination incident occurred. He denied being Mr. Rippner and told them that he was attacked by a group of men who jumped out of a white van. The police and hospital staff had no doubt that he was Jackson. A week later, the speculations about his identity was confirmed by someone who claimed to be a friend.

Lisa never saw him again after he followed her home with the intention of killing her but she was told by the police that Jackson would be sent to a maximum-security prison after all his wounds heal in the hospital.

She assumed that he was in prison by now. She was sure he despised her and probably dreamt of escaping to kill her. Hopefully, he would spend the rest of his miserable life in that prison and never experience freedom again.

* * *

Lisa was scheduled to get off of work over two hours ago but a situation involving two guests having a domestic dispute which ended with the police showing up made her want to stick around. A few other guests were disturbed by the outburst and felt as though they deserved a personal apology from the staff for allowing this to happen in the main lobby. Cynthia was overwhelmed so Lisa took over and did her best to calm everyone down.

Lisa realized that she had not received one call from her father today, which was unusual. Perhaps he finally received the message that she is a big girl and she can take care of herself. She still had that odd feeling in her stomach and decided to give him a quick call to see what he was up to.

The guests finally filed out of the lobby after they accepted Lisa's sincere apology and her promise to act quicker to prevent similar incidents in the future. She walked over to the phone at the check-in desk and dialed her father's phone number. She tapped her foot on the marble floor and impatiently waited for him to answer his phone. She couldn't help but feel like something was wrong.

"You have reached Joe Reisert, sorry I was unable to come to the phone. Please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible." Lisa sighed and hung up the phone.

She stood silently next to the phone and a million thoughts raced through her mind. Where was her father? Why didn't he answer his phone? Why didn't he call her today? Did he go someplace today and forget to tell her? Lisa shook her head, it wasn't like her to be so worried like this.

Footsteps approached Lisa and she felt a hand grab her shoulder. Startled, she jumped slightly but relaxed when she heard a familiar voice.

"Whoa, hey, it's just me." Lisa turned around and faced the petite redhead. "You okay?"

Lisa smiled and nodded, "Yeah, Cynthia, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Cynthia gave Lisa a sympathetic smile. "You've been working a lot, she should go home. Don't worry about anything tonight. I have everything under control here."

After much convincing, Lisa agreed to go home. But first she wanted to stop by her dad's house.

Lisa walked into the nearly empty employee parking lot and headed towards her car. As usual, she inspected every inch surrounding her as she walked closer to her car. It was a habit she was sure would never stop. She always carried a bottle of pepper spray and a pocket knife in her purse everywhere she went. She was confident that she would never be violated again. Not after the rape…and Jackson. She was fully prepared now.

She slipped into the car and reached into her purse to call her father once again. Once again, she got his voice mail message.

"Hi dad, it's me. I'm just calling to check up on you. I haven't heard from you today. Well…um…I'm just going to stop by your house in a few minutes. Hopefully, I'll see you soon. If not," Lisa paused for a few seconds, "call me when you get this message." She flipped her phone shut and drove in silence.

* * *

Ten minutes later she pulled into her fathers driveway and stepped outside to be hit by a cool breeze that brushed through her hair. She could smell a barbeque from across the street and inhaled deeply. She loved the smell of steak and hamburgers cooking on the grill.

She approached the door and noticed it was slightly cracked open. Her heart leaped into her throat and the feeling in her stomach intensified. Carefully, she swung the door open and slowly stepped inside. Joe never left the door open, even when he was home. Her heart began racing rapidly and she grabbed a long, black umbrella next to the door.

Lisa walked deeper into the house. "Dad, are you here? Dad?" Lisa glanced around the room and turned on a light. Nothing seemed out of place. She walked into the kitchen and turned on the light. Lisa called out once again, "Dad?"

She took one step forward and froze. The umbrella slipped from her hand and her eyes grew wide. She covered her mouth with both hands to stifle a shocked gasp.

The entire kitchen was ransacked. Items were scattered all over the place. The refrigerator door was wide open and spilled milk covered the floor in front of the refrigerator. The cabinet door beneath the sink was ripped off. A red liquid substance covered a black frying pan lying on the ground. A drawer was pulled out and a bundle of forks, spoons and knives sat in a neat pile on a counter top. A couple of knives were scattered along the floor next to the counter top where the silverware was neatly put into a pile.

Lisa uncovered her mouth and took a step forward. She picked up the handle of the black frying pan and inspected the red liquid. She gently touched the sticky liquid with her index finger and brought it close to her face. Her eyes widened when she realized it was blood. She instantly threw the frying pan onto the floor and wiped the blood off of her finger with her shirt.

Her heart was pounding and her mind was racing. The first thing she decided to do was search the house for Joe. She prayed that she would find him alive and safe.

Lisa checked the rest of the kitchen and panicked when she saw a thin line of blood splattered on the wall. She then glanced at a chef knife lying on the floor with blood on the blade.

A loud thump came from upstairs. Lisa snapped her head towards the direction of the stairs and her breathing became heavy. Her heart rate sped up even faster and all she could hear was the beating of her heart and her uneven breathing.

She reached down and picked up the knife with blood on the blade. She turned off the kitchen light, held the knife close to her chest and crept towards the staircase.

She approached the entranceway from the kitchen to the front door and stairs and leaned against the wall. The heels of her feet were against the panel of the bottom of the wall and she slowly slide across the wall. She held the knife slightly above her head, ready to thrust it forward if her father's attacker happened to appear out of nowhere.

She took a deep breath before peering around the corner. Slowly poking her head out, she glanced around the foyer. It was beginning to get very dark outside and it was hard to see if anyone was hiding in the shadows in the corners of the room.

She slowly stepped back from the corner and pressed her against the wall. Her chest heaved up and down, her mouth was closed and she breathed heavily out of her nose. She closed her eyes and silently wished that no one was waiting in the dark to pounce on her.

She took one more deep breath and opened her eyes. She waited until her eyes adjusted to the dark then slowly turned the corner. There was an eerie silence in the house and she made sure not to make any noise so the person upstairs would not hear her.

Lisa carefully put one leg in front of the other and very quietly made her way to the bottom step of the staircase. Now it was time to sneak upstairs and find out who was in the house. She gulped and put one foot on the first step. Her hand gripped the wood railing and she peered upstairs.

It was now pitch black outside and all she could see was darkness when she looked up toward the second floor. For all she knew, someone could be staring down at her right now and she would not be aware of it. The thought of some standing upstairs, watching her and waiting for her to approach made the hair on her arm stand up.

Her palms started to feel sweaty and she clutched the knife so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She felt a prickly sensation on the back of her neck and she shivered. She stared into the blackness upstairs and started to see the outline of a figure or object. A coat rack, perhaps? No, that couldn't be it. She tensed up, she wanted to run out of the house and call for help but she could not look away. She also couldn't shake away the feeling of being watched.

Fear overwhelmed her and she felt paralyzed. She was stuck. After standing still for several minutes she worked up the courage to take another step.

The outline that she saw did not move. It was too still to be human. But what about a ghost? Lisa laughed at herself. There were no such things as ghosts. She pushed the childish thought out of her mind and put a foot on the next step.

She gently strode up the stairs and paused when she was halfway up. She saw something quickly move out of the corner of her eye. She felt a flutter in her chest and winced. Her breathing became shallow and she felt paralyzed once again.

She leaned back against the wall and held the knife with both hands in front of her chest.

Reality set in and she realized that it wasn't her dad upstairs. Whoever was in the house knew she was there. Her dad would have shown himself by now.

Lisa wanted to get the hell out of that house. The person upstairs could be armed and waiting for her. Maybe there was even more than one person upstairs. Maybe this whole thing was a setup. What if the person in the house wasn't after her father, what if he or they wanted her? Her father could have been bait. They could be holding him captive.

Lisa pushed herself away from the wall and looked at the front door. But what if she was wrong? What if this wasn't a plan? Maybe the person upstairs was her father. Maybe he didn't recognize her because it was dark. What if he is hurt and needs immediate medical treatment? She can't leave without knowing for sure.

She looked back upstairs and took one step forward. All of a sudden a loud sound screeched in her ears and she jumped back. She lost her footing and tumbled down the stairs.

She grumbled and turned her head towards the front door. The sound was coming from outside and Lisa realized that it was a car alarm.

Lisa's eyes nearly popped out of her head and she jolted straight up when she realized it was her car. Someone is trying it break into her car.

She ran outside and turned the alarm off. She glanced around the driveway for intruders but saw no one. An idea popped into her head from watching too many horror movies and she decided to peer inside the car to make sure no one was hiding in the backseat. While she was searching her backseat she heard someone behind her. She spun around and a dark figure ran passed her and crossed the street. She watched the person run towards a white van parked across the street as the door slid open and the man jumped inside. The van sped away and Lisa stood still with her mouth gaping open.

It took her a minute to gather her thoughts and she realized that was the man inside the house. It had have been. Her car alarm going off had to have been distraction so the person upstairs could escape. Someone from inside that van set her car alarm off as a distraction. It was the only rational explanation she could come up with.

Lisa grabbed her purse that was sitting in the front passenger seat and pulled out her cell phone to call the police. She noticed something before putting her purse back down. Something that caught her eye. She reached down and touched the floor of her car. She felt something hard and picked it up.

It was a VHS video tape. A small piece of white paper glued on tape had big bold red letters written in permanent marker. She read it aloud.

"Play me. P.S. do not show police if you want your dad to live."

* * *

**Please read and review! The second chapter is already written and will be posted as soon as someone reviews!**


	2. Chapter Two

Lisa examined the entire house; she searched every room and inspected each closet. She looked underneath all the beds, yanked open the curtains to each bathtub and checked all the cabinets. She made sure not to miss an inch. She didn't want any unexpected intruders popping out to attack her.

There was no sign of her father or any evidence of a disturbance on the second floor. Satisfied that her father's house was now safe, Lisa entered the living room and pushed the tape into the VCR.

She walked over to the couch and plopped down. She reached toward the coffee table and grabbed two remotes. One was for the TV and the other operated the VCR. Lisa pressed the red power button on the silver remote controller and listened to the sound of the television turning on.

The comedy channel. Lisa smirked at the memory of watching the comedy channel late at night with her father when she was a child. She would sneak downstairs after her mother fell asleep and tip-toe into the living room. Every night Joe sat in his chair, eating from a bag of chips and taking sips of his Pepsi. He would briefly lecture her about needing sleep and waking up early for school but he always ended up caving in and let her watch a show or two with him. Her mother never knew. It was their little secret.

She loved that man more than anything in the entire world. She was a daddy's girl and she wasn't ashamed to admit it.

Lisa shook away the memories and returned to the present. She had to focus on the current situation. As difficult as it was, she had to face reality. Something horrible happened in this house and her father was gone.

She turned to channel 3 and picked up the VCR remote. With one last deep breath she pressed play and stared at the television screen.

For at least five seconds there was nothing but static and white noise. Suddenly the screen went black and a male voice began to speak.

"Lisa Reisert, we have a surprise for you."

Lisa involuntary flinched at the sound of the mans voice. There was something creepy about it.

The camera appeared to be inside of a van. The interior was black and the windows were tinted. A hand reached out in front of the camera and gripped the handle of the sliding door. A man slid open the door and jumped outside. The cameraman followed behind him.

Lisa recognized the neighborhood. It was her fathers neighborhood, her old neighborhood.

The sky was light blue and clear and the sun was shinning bright. Lisa could hear the laughter of children in the background and birds chirping from every direction.

She saw the back of a mans head and tried desperately to get a glimpse of his face when he looked around and swayed is head from side to side but all she could see was the back his thick dark brown hair and tan neck.

The man walked towards a house that Lisa was all too familiar with. He walked onto the lawn and went around the side of the house. The person holding the camera was close behind.

There was a shadow of the camera and the person holding it. The person was definitely a male. If not, well, Lisa would suggest a trip to a surgeon for breast implants. The person was flat as a board and slim.

The camera panned around the house and settled once it spotted the window which had a great view of the kitchen inside. Lisa grabbed the pillow on the side of the couch when she saw her father walk into the kitchen. She pulled it into her lap and tightly embraced it. Joe headed straight for the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice. He popped the blue lid off and took a sip out of the carton. After putting it back inside the refrigerator he wiped his mouth and turned to the island in the center of the kitchen. He reached for the black phone and fumbled with it for awhile. Finally, he punched in a couple of numbers but then he shook his head and pressed one last button. He laid the phone back on the counter and sighed.

Lisa knew he was trying to call her. He struggled not to make the call; he knew she was a grown woman who needed space. She talked to him about his phone calls and begged him not to worry about her. She asked him to limit the calls to at least twice a day. Surprisingly enough, he listened. She regretted it now; she wished he had called her. She wanted to hear his voice, needed to hear it. He would have be on the phone with her during the attack. She would hear everything and know something was wrong. She would've left work and called the police. She could have arrived in time to save him. It was too late now. He never called her. She never knew something was wrong and she didn't get there in time.

Joe moved away from the island and opened the cabinet underneath the sink. He pulled out a black frying pan and placed it on the stove. He walked back to the refrigerator and took out a clear bag with large round tomatoes, a plastic bag with an onion, a couple green peppers and grated cheese. He laid the items down on the counter next to the stove then went back to the refrigerator. He grabbed a white carton of eggs and placed it next to the items on the counter. He was going to make one of his infamous omelets.

The camera guy turned away and began to walk toward the front entrance of the house. Her heart sank into her chest and she knew this was it. She was about to see how the mess inside her fathers kitchen happened. She took a deep breath and prayed her father survived. He had to be alive, right? Otherwise the note on the tape wouldn't make sense.

The two men approached the front door and Lisa held her breath. The man without the camera turned the knob and slowly pushed the door open. He crept inside and signaled for the cameraman to follow. They gently and quietly walked towards the kitchen. Both men halted when the kitchen came into sight.

Joe pulled open a drawer and took out a chef knife and placed it next to the stove, opposite side of the items from the refrigerator. He left the drawer open and walked over to the refrigerator. His back was turned from the men as he reached inside for the carton of milk. He took the top off when the men walked into the kitchen. They were quiet as a mouse and snuck behind Joe. Joe took the top of the milk carton and was about to take a sip when he heard a footstep. He spun his head around and had the look of pure surprise and fright plastered on his face. The man without the camera charged at Joe and he released his grip on the milk carton. The carton dropped to the ground and milk spilled everywhere.

Lisa gasped as she watched her father scurry away from the men and head to the counter. Joe picked up the bag of tomatoes and threw it at the men. One man chuckled and the other backed toward the corner of the room. The man with the camera stood in the corner of the kitchen and taped the fight scene between Joe and the intruder.

The man inched closer and closer toward her father.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Joe shouted at the man.

In response, the man grabbed Joe by the collar of his shirt and pushed his back against the island counter. The edge of the counter was pressing into Joe's skin and Joe reached behind himself and grabbed the phone. He threw the phone at the man's face. The man released Joe and cursed.

Joe scrambled to the other side of the kitchen and headed for the back door. The man quickly recovered from having a phone thrown at the side of his face and caught up with Joe. He grabbed Joe by the arm then spun him around and kicked him in his groin. Joe doubled over in pain. The man stood behind Joe, lifted his leg up before he thrust it forward. He kicked Joe on his back. Joe fell to the floor and crawled between the island and the stove.

The man followed him for a few seconds then bent down and grabbed his legs. He pulled Joe and attempted to drag him out of the kitchen. Joe dug his short fingernails into the floor but it didn't help. He saw the cabinet underneath the sink and opened it. He held on to the cabinet door as tight as he could but man kept pulling him and with one swift jerk the door he was gripping with his life ripped off. Joe flipped over so he was on his back and threw the cabinet door at the man's right knee. The man dropped Joe's legs as cursed loudly and rubbed his knee. Joe used the opportunity to stand up quickly and reach for the chef knife. Joe gripped the handle of the knife and plunged it into the man's shoulder. The man cried out and grabbed Joe's hand. Both men fought over the knife. Joe stumbled backwards and crashed into the refrigerator. The man gained control over the situation and ripped the knife out of Joes hands. He slashed Joes arm open and blood splattered on the wall. Joe yelled in pain and the man threw the knife on the floor. The man grabbed Joe around the neck and whispered something into his ear. Joe looked terrified and nodded his head. The man stopped choking Joe and grabbed his arm. He pushed Joe ahead of him and Joe walked in between the island and the counters and stove. For a moment Joe seemed defeated and looked as though he was going to corporate. The man lightened his grip on the Joes shoulders and Joe slammed his elbow into the man's abdomen. The man groaned and clenched his stomach. Joe grabbed the handle of the frying pan and knocked him on the side of the head before man fell to the floor.

The cameraman walked towards Joe. Joe turned around and pulled the drawer with the silverware out. He dumped the silverware onto the counter then threw the drawer on the floor. The cameraman approached Joe then gently set the camera down on the island.

Lisa watched the two men struggle. Eventually the men took their fight to another part of the kitchen and it was out of the frame. All Lisa could hear were crashing noises, glass breaking and an occasional curse word coming from both men.

The man who was hit in the head with the frying pan stood up and held his throbbing head. He moaned and looked toward the direct of the fight. He then glanced at the pile of silverware on the counter and grabbed a fork. A couple of butter knives fell from the pile and landed on the floor. The man left the camera frame and joined the fight.

A couple of minutes later the camera was picked up by someone and zoomed in on Joe lying on the floor in a puddle of his blood. Tears filled Lisa's eyes. She stared at the motionless body of her father and wept.

The screen went blank for a moment, when the camera turned back on it was focused to Joe. He was tied up and inside of the van. He was still unconscious. The man holding the camera opened the sliding door and stepped outside. The sun was starting to set and he walked back into Joes house. There were two other men inside. The cameraman walked into the kitchen and watched a man plant a tiny device into a plant that was facing the TV.

Lisa quickly turned her head towards the plant behind her and gasped. There was a camera hidden in that plant. They saw everything she did in that room. They saw as she watched the tape. They could see her right now. She knew they were probably laughing about it.

Lisa ignored the camera for now and turned back toward the TV. One man said he was going to plant some cameras upstairs and the other continued planting cameras around the living room.

They were everywhere. They could see her from all different angles. They could see her reaction to every little thing. They were studying her right now. They were getting off on it. They probably enjoyed watching her horrified expressions.

The camera turned off once again. It turned back on a second later and the cameraman was back inside of the van. It was almost completely dark outside. The man who planted the cameras inside of the living room sat in the front drivers seat of the van and Joe was still tied up in the back of the van. He was conscious now and his mouth was taped shut. His eyes roamed all over the van, he was obviously planning an escape and searching for an easy way out.

Suddenly the camera snapped towards the window and Lisa's car pulled into the driveway. The cameraman muttered something underneath his breath then looked at Joe.

"Aww, look who stopped by." The cameraman said to Joe in a mocking tone. Joe peered out of the window and watched Lisa exit the car.

Joe whimpered and the cameraman went back to Lisa. He watched her enter the house and chuckled. Joe's muffled voiced filled the van and the cameraman turned back to Joe.

"I'm sorry. What was that? You're mumbling."

Joe violently shook his body from side to side and tried speaking louder. The cameraman ripped off the tape on Joes mouth and before he had time to speak, the cameraman punched Joe in the mouth. Blood trickled down Joe's chin. The man covered his mouth with the tape once again.

The man grabbed a hand full of Joes hair and yanked his head forward. "Shut the fuck up and stop bitching." The man released Joe's hair and threw his head back against the door.

The cameraman looked out of the window. "Time to get that bitch out of the house."

The man ripped a piece of paper in half and wrote, 'Play me. P.S. do not show police if you want your dad to live.'

The man spoke once more, "Don't notify the police. We're watching you and we will contact you soon."

The camera went off one last time. There was nothing but static on the screen.

Lisa stood up in the middle of the room, tears streaming down her face. She looked around the room.

"Can you bastards hear me? What do you want? What the fuck do you want from me?" She shouted on the top of her lungs.

"Leave us alone!" Her voice was strong and powerful. She fell to her knees and began to sob in her hands.

An image of a man popped into Lisa's mind. A man who she despised. He had to be behind this. This was his fault. Somehow he orchestrated the whole thing. It had to be him. Who else would want to hurt her father? He's prison but he still has connections. I'm going to find him. Her mind was set. She was going to find this man and make him tell her everything. She was going to hunt him down, possibly even kill him. She was going to find Jackson Rippner.

* * *

**Please read and review! Constructive criticism is welcomed!**


	3. Chapter Three

It had been hours since Joe was kidnapped and no one had tried contacting Lisa yet. She took the warning seriously and didn't call the police. She knew Jackson had to be behind it. Who else would want to harm her family? He probably contacted someone he does "business" with and hired them invade her life once again.

She spent the past few hours walking in circles around the small kitchen in her apartment and biting on her fingernails. Searching for evidence to see if the kidnappers broke into her apartment and planted cameras. Nothing was out of the ordinary. The windows were locked and objects were in the exact same place she left them. She was satisfied that her home hadn't been invaded and was now typing feverishly on her laptop.

She searched google for any information relating to Jackson. She was going to find the bastard and fight him until he handed over her father on a silver platter. He obviously couldn't stand the fact that he was beaten by a woman. And it was going to happen again. She was sure of it.

He already once caused havoc in her life and she certainly wasn't going to allow for it to happen again. Not after she got her life back on track. The jerk better hope he is surrounded by highly trained security guards, if not, he can consider himself dead.

Lisa found very few articles on Jackson Rippner. It was as if he didn't exist before the incident on the plane. He had never been arrested before and there was no online record of where he went to school or even where he was born. Who _was_ this man?

None of the articles mentioned where he was currently staying. They all stated that he was detained in a highly maximum security prison. That's all. There wasn't even a picture of him. He was still invisible to the rest of the world.

The memory of Jackson's face was slowly fading from Lisa's mind. She could still remember what he looked like but the little details were missing. She'd be able to identify him in a heartbeat but she just couldn't seem to remember if he had any freckles or anything of that nature.

She continued searching but it was useless, there wasn't one mention of where he was locked up. She didn't even know if he was still Florida. Frustrated, she slammed the lid on the laptop closed and gently threw it next to her on the sofa. Dammit! This was going to be far more difficult than she thought.

She bent her head down and covered her face with her hands. What was going to do? Wait for Jackson's instructions so he could have the advantage of a sneak attack? She needed to figure something out so she could stay one step ahead of him. There had to be a way to contact him. If he can still control his minions and get them to kidnap her father, there just had to be a way she could reach them. She doubted the police would tell her where he is. Besides, they would probably be suspicious and keep a close eye on her.

Her mind went over all of the non-helpful articles and she groaned. They didn't inform her of anything she didn't already know. Hell, they even left out some important information. You'd think that his picture would be sprawled all over the news channels. The incident involving Keefe hardly focused on Jackson at all. It's odd. Wouldn't the media want to find out as much information about this man as possible?

Lisa has watched programs where reporters dig into a criminals past and tries to analyze what went wrong in their childhood. Why didn't anyone care about Jackson? Then she froze for a moment. She couldn't possibly be the only one looking for this man. There has to be at least one journalist out there that's desperate to find him.

Lisa grabbed her laptop once again and began retracing the articles she read. There were phone numbers and email addresses to contact the journalists who wrote the articles. She made up a plan to contact each one of them and piece together all of the information. Someone had to know something that they weren't publishing to the general public.

She had just finished writing down the last phone number on a notepad when she reached for the phone. It was close to midnight by now she didn't care. She needed answers.

She held her phone in one hand and placed the notepad on the coffee table with the other. Her phone started vibrating right before she could make a call. It startled her and she jumped. She looked at the caller ID: Unknown Caller. Who would be calling her this late? Unless it was…

Lisa wasted no time to press the talk button. "Hello?"

"You really should use a cup holder for that glass. You're going to ruin table."

Lisa glanced at her coffee table and saw her glass of water sitting on the edge. Her heart started pounding. She already checked every inch of this place and there were no cameras that she could find! She stood up abruptly and looked around the room.

"Relax, Lisa." The man with the deep voice said on the other line. "Sit down. Let's have a chat."

But she didn't sit down. She looked up at the ceiling, behind pieces of furniture and anywhere she thought there could be a hidden camera. An unpleasant laugh echoed in her ear and her head snapped towards the balcony sliding glass door. Maybe there were no cameras in the house. Perhaps they were staring at her right outside her window.

Lisa ran to the balcony door and slid it open. She stepped out onto the balcony and looked down below her. Looking for any strange men staring up at her. There was no one. She searched the street for a white van. Nothing.

"Get back inside, Lisa." The voice demanded.

"Why? So you can see what I'm doing?" She snapped.

"I can what you're doing now."

"Yeah?" Lisa put a finger on her nose, still facing the opposite direction of her apartment. "What am I doing?"

"Picking your nose." He state simply.

Lisa grinned to herself. He told her exactly what she needed to know. He was watching her from outside. There was no way he could see what she was doing if the cameras were inside.

Lisa walked back inside her apartment, roughly slid the door shut, and closed the blinds on all the windows. She ran to the back closet and grabbed an extra sheet to hang over the glass balcony door so they couldn't see her.

"I'm going to tell you once, and only once, you are going to remove that sheet from the door." The voice said sternly.

Lisa shook her head despite the fact that the man could no longer see her. "No, I don't think I'm going do that."

There was a sudden silence on the other end, followed by a cringe worthy wail. "You can thank yourself for your father's newly broke wrist."

Lisa's mouth gaped open and she suddenly felt angry. "I swear to God if you hurt him…"

"You'll what?" The voice asked while laughing. "Hide underneath the bed and pray the bad guys won't find you?"

"Fuck you!" She screamed in the receiver.

"Tsk. Tsk. Young ladies such as yourself shouldn't use such language. It makes you less attractive."

Lisa was fuming now. Why was this happening to her? Why now? Was she ever going to get rid of Jackson?

The man continued talking, "Be a good little girl and remove the sheet from the door before your dad sustains a sudden head injury."

Lisa's eyes glossed over with tears but she blinked them back. She was not going to cry. She had to be brave. Slowly, she stepped closer to the balcony door and reached up to grab the sheet. She yanked it down with full force and threw it on the ground.

"Good." The man said. "Now, let's get to business."

Lisa stumbled over to the couch and sat down in defeat. "What do you want?" She asked with complete helplessness clear in her voice.

"Your objective is to get your father back in one piece. I want you to achieve this. You, nor your father means anything to me. Give me what I want and you'll get your life back."

Lisa furrowed her brows and looked towards the balcony door so he could see her confused expression. "What are you talking about? I don't understand. I don't have anything! Is it money? I…"

"No." The man interrupted. "Money is not an issue for me."

"I'm confused. What do you want?"

"The same thing you want."

Lisa stood up and threw an arm up in frustration. "You have what I want!"

"Goodbye Lisa."

"Wait! No!" Lisa shouted into the phone until she heard a click. "Dammit!"

Without wasting another second, Lisa fled her apartment and ran into the street. She inspected the area in front of her balcony and searched for a white van. She needed to find them. She had no idea what he meant. What did Lisa have that Jackson asked his men to get? She took nothing from him! There was no trace of a white van or even suspicious characters.

She bowed her head in defeat and didn't bother wiping away the tears that freely fell down her face. What was she supposed to do?

She was completely drained of energy and went back to her apartment to vent. She collapsed on the sofa and cried herself to sleep. She was lost, scared and alone.

* * *

The blazing sun shinning in through the balcony door coaxed Lisa awake. She laid completely still for over half an hour. Eyes wide open, staring at her reflection on the television screen and wishing she was stuck in a nightmare and would soon wake up.

She was thankful that it was her day off and hoped she wouldn't be disturbed by Cynthia or anyone else. Her phone was still cradled in her hand and she sat up to reach for the notepad with the phone numbers of various journalists. Better get started now because this could take all day, she told herself. She'd find Jackson and demand to know what he wants. She'd be willing to give up her life if that's what he wanted for her fathers safety.

The first few calls she made didn't help her at all. They knew nothing. She decided to take a quick lunch break and headed to the deli a few blocks from her apartment. She hadn't eaten all day and she was craving a roast beef sandwich.

After she ordered her sandwich, she took a seat near the window. There was a family sitting nearby and a couple near the back. A man was ordering his food and two teenage girls just walked inside. Lisa observed these people. How lucky they are to not have to worry about the kidnapping of their fathers. She was envious that they would go back to their normal lives after eating. She had an entire day planned of getting information from journalists about a man in prison who ordered his associates to torture her by taking away the most important man in her life. Lisa lowered her eyes and started to sulk.

She hadn't noticed the minutes that passed by. She just nibbled on her sandwich and kept her eyes focused on her table. She heard footsteps approach and she glanced up to see the man who was ordering food when she took a seat walk past her. He had a napkin in his hand and dropped in on her table. Right on the other half of her untouched sandwich. Jerk!

Lisa made a disgusted face and wanted to throw it back at the man. Who did he think he is? She's not a trashcan! She couldn't believe people these days. She reached to grab it and throw it away but something caught her eye. There was a blue mark on the other side of the napkin. She turned it around and found a message scribbled across. It was an address she was unfamiliar with. Underneath the address it read: "Visiting hours 10 am to 5 pm".

She quickly twisted her head towards the door and saw the man crossing the street. Either he was some sick pervert that wanted her to meet him or this was about Jackson. He could've been the man on the phone last night for all he knew. She grabbed the napkin and ran out of the deli to catch up to the man. The moment she stepped outside, she couldn't see him anywhere. She crossed the street and looked around but he wasn't in sight. He just disappeared. Lisa looked back at the napkin and ran back to her apartment.

Lisa pulled out her laptop and typed the address in google. There was a match. It was the address of a maximum security prison located in Ohio. Jackson had to be there. Lisa reached over to grab the notepad and planned to ask the journalists what they knew about the prison in Ohio. As soon as she picked up the notebook, something slipped out from in between the pages. Lisa examined it for a few seconds. It was a plane ticket. And it was to Ohio. They were leading her to Jackson.

The phone rang and Lisa looked at the caller ID. Unknown Caller.

"Hello?"

"Pack your bags." The same deep voice from last night demanded. "Your plane takes off in two hours."

"How do I know this isn't a trick and you're not waiting to ambush me?"

"You wouldn't be talking on the phone right now if we wanted you dead." He replied in a dull tone. "We've had more than enough opportunities to attack."

Lisa's instinct was to believe him. So she did. "Okay. Why do you want me to see Jackson? Aren't you afraid of what I'll do to him?"

The man on the other end laughed. "You don't have much time. Get going." And with that, he hung up.

This man was going to need to learn better communication skills if Lisa was going to keep receiving phone calls from him.

Lisa was beyond confused but it was easier if she didn't try to think about it logically. Hopefully she would get all the information she needs from Jackson himself. What the hell could he possibly want from her other than her life?

Lisa got that bad feeling in the pit of her stomach when she realized the last time she had been in an airplane was with Jackson. If she ends up sitting next to another sadistic "manager", so help her, she will go ballistic.

* * *

The flight to Ohio went smoothly. There were no dangerous villains lurking behind her, no faux charming men offering her a drink and no one threatening to kill her father sitting next to her.

There was no way she would make it in time for the prison visiting hours. She would have to wait until tomorrow. The moment she stepped off the plane and turned on her phone, it started ringing. She didn't bother to check the caller ID this time. She knew who it was.

"You have a hotel reservation at the Holiday Inn." The deep voice said without bothering to ask how her flight went.

Lisa grimaced, "The Holiday Inn? Couldn't you do better than that?"

"A red car will be waiting for you tomorrow morning right outside your room. Leave at 11 am sharp and the driver will take you to the prison."

Lisa rolled her eyes because he obviously ignored her question. "Why do I need a driver? Wouldn't a taxi be sufficient?"

"Do you want your father back safely?"

Lisa sighed and tears former in her eyes. "Yes."

After a brief silence, Lisa finally asked the question that just dawned on her. "What am I supposed to do about work?"

"It's been handled. You're on leave for 4 weeks."

That came as a shock. "What!?"

"Your distraught over your uncle's recent death and you're in the middle of a mental breakdown."

"Excuse me? My only uncle passed away many…"

"Goodbye, Lisa."

And he hung up. Lisa snapped the phone shut and threw it in her purse. Would anyone who knew her actually believe that story? She was strong. She was a fighter. She never let anything get in the way of her job. Cynthia would have to know something is up when she hears the news.

* * *

Lisa woke up around 8 am, took a shower and dressed in her usual business attire. She grabbed a bagel at small family owned pastry shop and headed back to the hotel until 11 am.

Lisa stared out of the window until saw a red car pull into the parking lot. She grabbed her purse, checked herself out in the mirror and took a deep breath before leaving the room. This was it. She was finally going to face Jackson again.

The driver never stepped outside or even said a word. As soon as she slipped into the backseat, he sped out of the parking lot and headed towards the prison. Lisa started at the back of his neck and wondered if he knew what was going on. She wanted to ask him if he knew what Jackson wanted from her so she could be prepared but she couldn't find her voice.

Forty-five minutes later they arrived at the prison and Lisa gulped. She was minutes away from seeing him again. Her palms got sweaty and she felt like she was going to have an anxiety attack. _Breathe. Just breathe._ The guard standing at the gate took one look inside the car and nodded. Did they know each other?

The driver parked the car and didn't move an inch. Was she just supposed to walk inside? Would he still be waiting for her? His eyes met hers in the rearview mirror and the intensity of his eyes caused her feel afraid. Without saying a word, she exited the car and headed inside.

After being patted down and searched, she was sent to a room where she was told Jackson was waiting for her. Her heart was being rapidly and her breathing was uneven. She had the urge to turn around and run away. _No_, she told herself. _You have to do this_.

A guard lead her to a room and she heard voices inside. She tried to calm herself before stepping inside. The man in an orange jumpsuit was faced away from her. All she could see was thick brown hair. He was handcuffed to the table and that made Lisa feel a little better. Safer. The other people in the room filed out and left her alone with Jackson. He was still faced away from her and she cleared her throat to get his attention.

Very slowly, too slowly, he turned towards her. Lisa gasped when she saw his face. What the hell is this!? She stared into unfamiliar brown eyes. This was not Jackson. The name Jackson Rippner was stitched across his jumpsuit but this was_ not_ him.

* * *

**Please review!!**


	4. Chapter Four

"You're not Jackson." Lisa stepped closer the man posing as Jackson Rippner. "Who are you?"

The man stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, a strange emotion gleamed in his eyes and he finally cracked a smile.

"Thank you." He whispered in a hoarse voice.

"I'm sorry?" What on earth was going on? Was this a trick? Why was she sent all the way down here to meet with some imposter? Was Jackson in a different facility? Was he even in prison at all? It could explain the reason there were no pictures of him from the media or why no one focused much attention on him. Was this a setup?

"For not calling me Rippner." The man in explained. She could feel is pain just by gazing into his eyes. They looked so sad and empty. "You don't know long…" His voice cracked and his eyes brimmed with tears.

Lisa took a seat next to him and touched his shoulder. "Who are you? What's going on?"

The man sniffed and tried his best wipe the tears trembling down his face. The handcuffs only allowed him so much movement. Lisa couldn't help but feel pity for this man. A grown man in a maximum security prison just broke down in front of her. This was real, raw emotion. Whoever he was, he wasn't playing her. These were real tears. She had an urge to reach out and comfort him. But first, she needed answers.

"Please," Lisa begged, "tell me what's going on."

The man inhaled and exhaled deeply. "My name is Jason Gordon. I met a guy six months ago. Said his name was Donald Maguire. He said he could help me get revenge on the man that murdered my wife and children four years ago. I was a real mess. I shunned everyone since the day they were taken. I have no friends, no family…nothin." The man tried hard to keep his voice even and in control but his voice cracked every now and then. "The people who remember me, they're gone. Disappeared. My identity has been erased. My life…stolen." He glanced around the room for a few seconds and shook his head. "For what?" He couldn't keep it in anymore. His body shook violently and more tears were released.

Lisa did her best to comfort him. She rubbed his shoulder and whispered her sincere apologies. But she needed to know more. How did he get mistaken for Jackson? And more importantly, where was the real Jackson?

"I shouldn't have done it." He whispered softly.

"What?" Lisa tried to keep her voice as gentle as possible. "What did you do?"

"I took Maguire up on his offer. He showed me this picture, you see. This picture of a man fittin' the description of the sorry son-of-a-bitch who took away the only people I ever gave a damn about. This Maguire character, he, uh, he said works for an agency dealing with assassinations. Mostly high profile stuff. Important people. He said he felt a connection with me and he wanted to help. Free of charge." Jason laughed bitterly and then slammed his fist against the table. "Little did I know I was just a pawn. Just a man to take the place of another. Five months ago, I get this call from Maguire. Askin' me to meet him in Miami. Said he had new info on my wife's killer. I get to Miami and checked into a hotel that night. A little after 5:30 am I get another call. Tellin' me he has the bastard. He gave me an address and I headed on over. Found him standin' near the house he asked me to meet him at. I get out of the car and walk over to him. Next thing I know, I'm bein' grabbed from behind. I turned to fight. Then…nothing. Blackness. I wake up in a hospital. Everybody and their brother has been callin' me Jackson Rippner."

Lisa sat silently and absorbed everything he had just told her. So Jason was set up. He was scammed by Jackson's associates. They needed someone to play the part of Jackson while the real Jackson got away. She scoffed. She couldn't believe it. That son of a bitch. Jason was cheated out of a future because Jackson couldn't do his job properly. But there wasn't something she couldn't understand. Why did Maguire call Jason down to Florida before the incident? Was he on standby incase something did go wrong?

"Have you told anyone?" Lisa asked. She wished she could retract that question because of the evil glare he was now giving her.

He stared at her with such intensity that Lisa cowered away. "You think I'd stay silent over something like this? Just keep my mouth closed and play along?" His voice became louder and harsh. He was definitely getting angry.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

The man laughed and shook his head. He slammed his hands on the table and it vibrated erratically. "You think a little thing like you can upset me? Grow up, missy."

Lisa suddenly wanted to leave this room, this prison…this state. Jason was truly beginning to terrify her. She wanted leave. Now.

"I'm in prison for crimes I didn't commit. My life is over. I'm not Jason Gordon anymore. I'm Jackson fuckin' Rippner."

Lisa stood up and walked towards the door. Before she knocked to get the guards attention, she turned to face the man and whispered. "You're not Jackson." She spoke with confidence and determination. "If you were, you'd be lying in a pool of blood right now."

The man calmed down and his ears perked up.

"I promise you," Lisa continued speaking, "I will find him. I'll prove you're innocent, get my father back and kill him."

"If you live up to your word, miss, I will owe you my life and forever be in your debt."

Without another word, Lisa knocked on the steel door and waited for the guard to let her out. She was hoping she would soon receive another phone call from the mysterious kidnapper who sent her to Ohio for absolutely no reason. What was the point of this? To see for herself that the real Jackson Rippner was a free man? She wouldn't be surprised if Jackson is watching her right now. Hell, she half expects to see him waiting in the car.

What should she do now? Tell someone in the prison that they made a mistake? Wait for the next phone call? She didn't know. Everything seemed so surreal. There was one surprise after another.

* * *

Back at the hotel, Lisa had written down everything Jason told her. She needed to keep organized. She couldn't forget anything.

Her cell phone started ringing and she dashed across the room to retrieve it.

"Hello?"

"Do we have a deal?" Asked the deep voice.

"What deal? What's going on? Where is Jackson?"

"That's what you're going to find out."

Lisa looked dumbstruck. "I'm sorry?"

"I told you the other night. We both want the same thing."

"You don't know where Jackson is?"

"Nope."

"How is that possible? Aren't you the guys who framed an innocent man to help Jackson escape?"

The voice chuckled. "It wasn't about helping him escape. We kept him away from the police so we could finish him off ourselves. We have a certain routine we follow after an employee screws up as badly as Rippner. After we fixed him up, good ole Jack vanished."

"You mean, Jackson isn't apart of this? He didn't tell you to kidnap my dad? And why would you fix him up if you intended on killing him?"

"One question at a time, Lisa."

"Why did you kidnap my father? What does he have to do with this?"

"It was the only way to ensure your cooperation."

"Why would you need my cooperation? How is kidnapping my father going to give you Jackson?"

"You ruined his life, Lisa. If he sees you, I guarantee he'll show his face."

"You can't even find him and you're highly trained professionals. How do you expect me to find him?"

"All you have to do is wonder around and he'll come to you. He's shriveling away from us. He knows he's dead the moment we find him. If we have you on our side, we'll find him shortly. As a team."

"I'm not on your side. I'm not on Jackson's side either. I just want my father back."

"Seeing as how I've got your father, I'd say you're on my side if plan on seeing him again."

"I really don't have any other options, do I?"

"No."

"What do I when he comes after me?"

"Bring him to us."

"How? Won't he be too busy trying to kill me?"

"I don't care how you do it. Just do it. Deceive him. Make him trust you and lead him to us. Your life will go back to normal once he's in our custody. Shit, I'll even throw in a bonus. You'll receive a large amount of cash as a 'thank you' present."

"No, thanks. I don't want to get paid for having a person killed. I'm not like you or Jackson."

"Fair enough. Remember your job. Flaunt yourself. Stay exposed and he'll come for you."

"Am I staying in Ohio?"

"No. Look underneath your pillows. You have a flight to catch tonight."

"Great." Lisa rolled her eyes and lifted the pillows to see a plane ticket. She held it up to see where her next destination would be. "Seattle?" Lisa dropped the ticket back on the bed and furrowed her eyebrows. "You think Jackson is all the way in Washington?"

"We have reason to believe he is in that area, yes."

Lisa sighed and flopped on the bed. "This is unbelievable. I don't know if I can do this." She ran her fingers through her hair and tried to keep herself from crying. This was far too overwhelming.

"There is someone who wishes to speak to you." There was a brief pause and a shuffling sound on the other end.

"Lisa?" A familiar voice. A voice she had been longing to hear.

Lisa bolted up straight and couldn't control her emotions. Tears spilled over her eyes, rolled down her cheeks and dripped off her chin.

"Dad?"

"Lisa, oh, honey."

"Daddy! Oh my God. It's so good to hear your voice. Are you okay? Are they feeding you? Do they hurt you?"

"They…"

Lisa could hear a struggle over the phone and she panicked. "Dad? Dad? What's going on!?"

"Take a nap before your flight, Lisa. You have a long night ahead of you." The deep voice was back and Lisa was burning with rage.

"What did you do to my father?"

"He's fine. Relax. The closer you are to finding Jackson, the longer you will be allowed to speak to your dad."

"I hate you."

"Goodbye, Lisa."

"No! Wait!"

Lisa expected to hear a click, like usual, but surprisingly, he listened this time.

"You didn't answer one of my questions." Lisa said quickly.

"What's the question?"

"Why did you heal Jackson if you were going to kill him?"

"To torture him, of course. It's not as thrilling to kill a nearly dead man. We like to take our time."

"You're sick."

"Goodbye, Lisa."

This time she heard a click.

* * *

**Please, please review if you like or even dislike this story! I just wanna know if anyone is actually reading it. There's no point in posting it online if no one is interested in the story! I'm really into this story and I'll update more than once a day if anyone is reading but I might end up losing interest if no one reviews. :(**


	5. Chapter Five

Lisa had already beaten villain. Why did there have to be a round two? How long was this going to continue? Even if she does succeed and capture Jackson, who is to say that her life will go back to normal? Not only will she need extensive therapy after this and probably suffer from nightmares, but she'll probably be thrown back in another assassination or kidnapping plan. She had a feeling she would never be able to escape.

She wondered if 'The Voice' actually trusted her to complete the task he gave her. Why not just follow her to Seattle and use her as bait capture Jackson themselves? Why would she have to actually interact with the man she despised and lure him to a group of hungry wolves waiting to devour him? It didn't make sense.

She was quickly getting sick of this game. Having no control over her own life was excruciating. Who was this man, this mysterious caller? Was he Donald Maguire? Exactly how many people were involved in this? These were questions that she would never figure out on her own but she felt sick asking 'The Voice' for information. It made her feel as though she were apart of his disgusting occupation.

Her biggest priority is to make sure that she and her father make it out alive. She has to be very careful once she arrives in Seattle.

This plane ride was a bit different then the one to Ohio. She observed the passengers around her and noticed there were at least three suspicious men surrounding her. She sat in a seat next to the aisle and the man sitting directly across from her seemed to pay close attention to her. She saw him staring at her from the corner of his eyes but she pretended not to notice. Two other men checked her out occasionally. Either she was being paranoid and they were normal, regular guys noticing a young woman or they were from the same agency as Jackson and keeping a close eye on her. It was safest to assume the ladder.

* * *

Lisa made it to Seattle without incident and checked into a nice 4-star hotel. Much better than staying at a Holiday Inn, she thought. She hadn't received a call from The Voice since he informed her she was traveling to Seattle so she picked out her own hotel. If he gets upset over this, well, too damn bad. He should've called.

It was nearly midnight when she checked in and she headed straight to bed. Her body was still on Eastern time and it was 3 am back there. She didn't even bother changing her clothes. She threw her suitcase on the ground and collapsed on the bed.

She didn't sleep on the plane because she was on the outlook for potential Jackson wannabes. The three men she noticed never approached her and she was thankful for that. But right now all she could think about was sleeping.

Minutes after her head contacted with the pillow, she drifted into a deep sleep.

Lisa found herself standing in the middle of a long and empty hallway. There was a figure in the distance but she couldn't make out any distinguishing features to identity the person. The body was slender and almost certainly male. Lisa blinked and when she opened her eyes, she was staring into murderous crystal blue eyes. It was him. Jackson. He was standing 20 feet away and snarling at her. He looked at her like she was his prey and he would charge at any second. The walls surrounding her were moving. They moved in closer, the width was barely longer than 6 feet but the length stretched out for miles. She suddenly felt claustrophobic and needed to leave.

Lisa spun on her heel and took off running in the opposite direction of where Jackson was standing. He didn't move. He just stood there and stared. Her legs pumped as fast as they could but the hallway continued stretching. There was no visible end. She risked a glance over her shoulder and she froze. She had been running away from Jackson but when she looked back, he was no less than 20 feet away. Yet he wasn't moving. She continued running again and eventually her speed slowed down. Her legs became harder and harder to pick up. She felt like she was stuck. She tried her hardest to run but she could barely move. She looked over her shoulder again and her face was mere inches from Jackson's. She screamed as he pulled a knife out and got ready to plunge it into her.

Lisa's eyes popped open and she looked around the room. Whew. What a terrible nightmare. The previous days events caught up with her and she sighed when she realized she was in Seattle and today would be day number one in attempt to coax Jackson out of his hiding spot.

She glanced at the clock on the nightstand and saw it was only 6:30 am. She didn't feel like getting out of bed. She wanted to hide in it for the rest of the day. She certainly wasn't looking forward to strutting herself in the city. How was going to do that anyway? Pole dancing? Don't think so!

After realizing she was still in the outfit she wore on the plane, she scrambled out of bed and headed for the shower. She felt dirty. She took a fifteen minute long shower in steaming hot water and moaned as the liquid caressed her skin. It felt so good to be clean.

* * *

Lisa didn't even have time to step out of the bathroom before she heard her phone ringing. She wrapped a thick white towel around her thin body and ran for the phone. She took an unnecessary glance at the caller ID. She knew who it was the moment it started ringing.

"Yeah?"

"Go to the lobby in 10 minutes."

Lisa tightened the towel around her and bent down to open her suitcase. "The hotel lobby?"

"Yes, Lisa." The voice replied in a slightly agitated tone.

"How do you know where I am?" Lisa asked suspiciously.

"Don't be ridiculous. We know where you are at all times."

Lisa rolled her eyes and pulled out a fitted t-shirt and a pair of boot cut jeans from her suitcase. "Right. Did you have your agents follow me here?"

"9 minutes."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes once again. "You're annoying."

"You're not exactly a joy to deal with, either."

"I've followed every one of your directions so far, haven't I?"

"With reluctance."

"Yeah, I'm sure most women are willing to jump at the opportunity to be baited in order to have man murdered."

"The same man who terrorized you on a plane for 3 hours."

"Which he received proper punishment for."

"Is there a reason you don't want us to find Jackson?"

"I never said that. I just prefer not being used. I would jam another pen in his throat if I work up enough courage again."

"I just may test you on that."

Lisa gulped and stiffened. "How about you don't?"

"I may be mistaken, but wasn't there a time when you were determined to kill him?"

"That was before I found out he had nothing to do with my father being kidnapped."

"Don't lose focus, Lisa. Don't feel sympathy for him."

"I don't."

"Keep it that way." There was a brief pause. "8 minutes."

"Oh, good God! Stop talking to me and let me get dressed."

"Clothing is optional."

Lisa opened her mouth to fire back an insult but decided silence was the best choice and snapped her phone shut. "Asshole."

* * *

A few minutes later Lisa exited the elevator and stepped inside the lobby. She scanned the group of people all around her but she didn't know who…or what she was looking for. Her cell phone started ringing and she answered it instantly.

"Now what?"

"Grab the purple duffle bag on the chair next to the man wearing the red sweater and oversized glasses."

Lisa looked around for the man and finally spotted him a few seconds later. He was sitting on the chair, legs crossed and reading a newspaper. She looked to his right and saw the purple duffle bag left unattended. She headed over there and grabbed the bag.

"Got it."

"Go outside, there's a car waiting for you."

"Can you be more specific or should I just pick a random car?"

"Walk, Lisa."

This was getting frustrating. Lisa groaned and walked outside. Ugh, it was raining. "Okay."

"See the man standing in front of the black Honda Civic?"

He was standing directly in front of her. "Yeah."

"Hand him the duffle bag."

"I just…give it to him?"

"Do it, Lisa."

Lisa suddenly felt self-conscious. She was just supposed to walk up to this stranger and hand him a bag? Was he so lazy he couldn't go inside and get it himself?

The man had a black goatee and tan skin. He was wearing an expensive black suit and looked liked he would kill anyone for the simplest reason without remorse. She was almost too afraid to approach him. But she did.

Lisa held out the bag and he took it without looking at her. He proceeded to walk to the front passenger side door and open it. He left the door open and walked to the trunk to put the duffle bag inside.

"Get in the car." The voice on the phone demanded.

"Can you see me right now?" Lisa twisted and turned her head in every direction. "Where are you?"

"Lisa." The voice warned.

Lisa sighed and slid into the front passenger seat.

"Oh, and Lisa, I end the conversations." And she heard a click.

She snapped her phone shut and threw it in her purse. This guy had a major attitude problem and it was putting her in a bad mood. Not that she was Miss Sunshine when she woke up, but he didn't have to make her situation harder than it was.

The man with the black goatee slid in the drivers seat and stuck the key in the ignition. Lisa put her seatbelt on as he pulled out of his parking spot.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Lisa asked the man after 5 minutes of silence.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye but he didn't say anything. Lisa sighed and leaned her head back. _Well, this sure is going to be fun_, she thought as she rolled her eyes.

Ten minutes later the driver pulled to the side of the road. Lisa looked around. Um, why did they stop? She turned her head towards the man but he didn't move a muscle. After 3 minutes of silence and no one moving, Lisa caved in and opened her mouth.

"What are we doing?"

As if on cue, her cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Get out of the car." The voice snapped.

"Why couldn't your buddy tell me that himself? Can he even talk?"

The drivers jaw clinched and his hands tightened around the steering wheel. _Right_. She's not messing with that guy. She didn't waste another second to open the door and step outside.

The moment she closed the door, the driver sped away.

"What the hell!? Your friend just left me stranded!"

"Goodbye, Lisa."

"What? No, not goodbye! Tell me what the…" Click.

"Jerk!" Lisa looked at her surroundings. She was right outside of Seattle and could see the city in the distance. And to make things worse, it was still raining! She started walking towards the tall buildings with an angry expression written all over her face.

Her phone rang a minute later and she looked at the caller ID. It was him. The Voice.

"You are such an asshole. I hope Jackson takes a shot at you before you kill him."

"Lisa?" A familiar voice.

"Dad?"

"Lisa, honey, are you okay?"

"Am I okay? I, yeah, I guess, sure, whatever. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay. Be careful. They…"

"Dad?"

"Once you get back to the city," The Voice said, "get something to eat and walk around until you're hungry for lunch."

"I don't know if you haven't noticed, but it's raining! I'm soaked and I'm probably going to catch a cold and you want me to spend the day walking around outside!?"

"Would you rather bury your father six feet under?"

Lisa grumbled and continued walking towards the city. "Why did you have that guy take me out of the city and make me walk back in?"

"We can't risk the chance that Jackson will see you in a car with someone he knows very well."

"How do you know he didn't see me with him at the hotel? Why couldn't I just walk out of the hotel and wander around the city? What was the point of this?"

"I'll call you in an hour. Try to be finished with breakfast before then." Click.

Lisa literally stomped her foot on the ground and growled. They did this for sheer pleasure, she was certain of it. There was no point in dropping her off here and making her walk back to the city in the pouring rain.

* * *

Within 20 minutes, Lisa finally made it back into Seattle and found a small restaurant serving breakfast. People stared at her as she walked in and she knew why. She must look absolutely terrible. She was drenched and her hair was probably tangled and a complete mess. She looked down and noticed that her shirt was practically see-through and she groaned. How much worse was it going to get?

She finished eating and the rain had finally stopped. Before leaving the restaurant, she went into the restroom and tried to fix herself up. Her clothes were starting to dry and she pulled out a comb from her purse and ran it through her hair. She also put on some makeup and by the time she walked out of the restroom, she looked 10 times better than when she first stepped inside.

* * *

Her phone rang and she answered it as she walked along the sidewalk.

"Hmm?" She was too angry to speak actual words.

"Cheer up. I want you to meet someone at the same place you were dropped off at no earlier than 6 pm and no later than 6:30. It'll be the last time you see us for a few days. We're on our way back to Florida tonight and we'll be back in a week. You'll have plenty of time to explore Seattle. We don't expect you to see Rippner anytime soon. Once he spots you, he'll probably keep an eye on you for a few days to figure out why you're here. Act as normal as possible and the only time I want you in that hotel is when you're sleeping. The moment you wake up until the moment you feel exhausted, I want you in the city. Never go to the same place twice. I'll keep in touch. Don't do anything stupid. Stay away from the police. If you try to call for help, we'll find out and kill your dad immediately."

Lisa sighed and lowered her head. "Fine."

"If Rippner does happen to find you before we're back, unlikely, but if he does, run and keep your distance until I call you. We'll be over in a matter of hours if this should happen."

"What? I thought the whole point of me coming here was to 'lure' him to you. Wouldn't that include talking to him?"

"When we're nearby, yes. If you trust him to keep you alive longer than 5 minutes after he shows exposes himself, then by all means, talk to him. But know this, he's probably dreaming of 100 different ways to make you bleed to death as we speak. I'm not ready to risk your life just yet."

"Lovely."

"Goodbye, Lisa."

"Bye."

* * *

Lisa spent the day wandering around outside and when it rained, she explored many different shops. By 5:40 pm she started heading back to the spot that the driver dropped her off at. She arrived a little after 6 and saw the same black car parked on the side of the road. Was he going to drive her back to the hotel now?

The man with the goatee stepped out of the car and went around to the trunk. He pulled out the purple duffle bag and handed it to Lisa.

"What am I going to do with this?"

The phone rang. _What a shocker._

"Yeah?"

"Change your clothes." The voice said in a no-nonsense tone.

"Excuse me?"

"Open the bag."

Lisa unzipped the bag and pulled out a sleek black dress and 5 inch heels.

"You expect me to walk around Seattle in that? I'll look like a hooker."

"It's a cocktail dress, Lisa."

"Why am I going to wear a cocktail dress?"

"You're going to a bar."

"I'm wearing a cocktail dress to a grungy bar?_ Seriously_?"

"It's a nice bar."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Where am I supposed to change?"

"In the car. Or if you prefer, outside. I don't mind a peep show."

"You are such a pervert." Lisa snapped. "I'm not changing where you can see me."

"Then get in the car."

"The windows…"

"We'll close our eyes. Promise."

Lisa huffed. "Ha. Right."

"Lisa." He said in a warning tone.

"Please tell me you're not going to make me walk back into the city wearing these heels."

"Sorry."

"Dammit!"

"Goodbye, Lisa."

Lisa quickly took off her clothes and slipped into the cocktail dress. Whether she liked it or not, she had to trust the man and just hope they weren't watching.

She stepped outside of the car and her phone rang again. The Voice gave her directions and hang up after saying, "take care of yourself."

* * *

It took almost half an hour to get to the bar and her feet were killing her. She would scream if she had to take another step. She carefully, and very slowly walked inside. The Voice wasn't lying. The bar was decent.

After several minutes, she was sipping on her drink when a clean cut man approached her. He attempted to flirt with her but she tried to hint that she wasn't interested. He eventually got it and left her alone. Another guy tried hitting on her but she glared at him and he walked away.

She decided to call it a night around 9 pm and walked outside. Was she supposed walk all the way back to her hotel? Or should she just call a taxi? The man never instructed on whether or not she was allowed to call a taxi. Oh well, he wasn't in Seattle anymore, she could call a taxi and he probably wouldn't know about it.

She dug through her purse and tried to search for her cell phone. It was too dark to see what she was doing so she swept her hand around inside the purse. Before she could clutch the phone, she felt someone brush against her and yank her purse out of her hand. A man grabbed her purse and ran. Her phone and the hotel card to get inside her room was in that purse. Without her purse, she wouldn't have a way of contacting The Voice. She wouldn't be able to go to the police because he would think she was turning him in. She did the only thing she could think of, she ran after the mugger.

Unfortunately, after five steps, she tripped and twisted her ankle as she fell against the sidewalk. "No! Fuck!"

She couldn't let this happen! She was completely alone in Seattle. Everything was in that purse. She couldn't even go back to the hotel without the card. If she asks the people at the desk for another card because hers was stolen, they would make her report it to the police. And she couldn't. She had no money, no shelter, no phone. Her life was over.

How is The Voice going to know she was mugged? Even if he does find out, it could take days. Where was she going to go until then? She was lying on the sidewalk in a skimpy black dress, she had a twisted ankle and she just noticed that she scraped her knee and it was bleeding.

They were going to kill her father. She knew it. The Voice would probably call her once he got back in Florida and she wouldn't be able to answer. He'd think she was up to something and kill her father. Lisa pushed herself off the ground and tried to walk but she fell back down. One of the heels had snapped off. _Great! Just perfect._

Tears flooded her eyes and fell freely. What was going to do? She was screwed. She took off her high heels and stood up again. She limped along the sidewalk and pouted. She had nowhere to go.

* * *

It had been an hour since the mugging and Lisa sat on a wet bench with an injured ankle and dry blood on her knee. She contemplated suicide but immediately brushed that thought away. She wasn't going to kill herself. She was sure she wouldn't last much longer anyway. Someone was bound to come along and off her.

She stood up and decided to look around for a homeless shelter to stay in for the night. She stopped to take a break. Her ankle was killing her and she couldn't walk on it anymore. She leaned over a fence and took deep breaths. Her mind went over everything that happened in the past few days and she started sobbing. Her body shook and her lips trembled. She slid down along the fence and sat on the ground.

She heard footsteps approaching but she didn't bother to look up. Hopefully they would just leave her alone. The footsteps stopped as soon as the person stood directly in front of her. A hand reached out to touch her and she jumped. She lifted her head up and looked into familiar blue eyes. She blinked. It wasn't a dream this time. He was really there.

* * *

**Please Review!**


	6. Chapter Six

**Thanks for the reviews! I truly appreciate it when you take the time to send me a review. It means a lot and it makes my day so much better when I get an email saying I just received a new review. It also inspires me to keep writing. So, once again, thank you!**

* * *

Lisa interlaced her fingers through the holes in the fence just incase Jackson would attempt to drag her away. Is eyes bore into her own and it was obvious what he was thinking. He was clearly wondering why she was in Seattle. But the biggest question in her mind was, what is she supposed to do now? Run, like The Voice had advised or make up a story and pray that he lets her live?

Jackson kneeled down in front of her and studied her face. He kept his distance but he was close enough to touch if she reached her arm out.

"Who sent you?" Jackson wasn't playing games. He knew how unlikely it was that Lisa would just happen to show up in the city he was hiding out in. Surely his former associates told her about his current situation and she was more than willing help them kill him, he thought.

Lisa parted her lips as a tear dropped from her eye and slid down her face. She tried to stand up by pulling on the fence and lifting herself up. She was almost completely erect when a pain shot through her ankle and she cried out before nearly falling to the ground. The only reason she hadn't collided with ground beneath her was because Jackson reached out to prevent her fall. He steadied her and released her once she was able to stand without assistance.

"Who sent you, Leese?" He repeated. His tone even more serious than before.

Lisa searched his face with her eyes and noticed that his brows were furrowed and he looked at her impatiently. It reminded her of the look he gave the blonde woman on the plane when she asked for his help the second time. He wanted an answer and he wanted it now.

Lisa shook her head and decided to lie her ass off. "No one."

Jackson looked disappointed for a split second, then without a word, he turned and started walking away.

"Wait!" Lisa shouted but he ignored her. She took a step forward and slipped and screamed as she fell.

Jackson stopped walking but he didn't look back at her. He stood still in the middle of the empty street and took a deep breath.

"They kidnapped my father." Lisa mumbled quietly. She thought Jackson hadn't heard her because he kept completely still and silent.

Minutes seemed to tick by and Lisa stared at Jackson's back as she continued to lie on the ground. She kept falling anyway, why risk another bruise or cut? Finally, Jackson turned his body towards her and walked over to help her stand up. He grabbed an arm and pulled her to her feet by wrapping his free arm around her waist.

Once she was standing up, he let go of her waist and kept his hand on her shoulder so she wouldn't fall again.

"Explain." He said simply.

Lisa lowered her head and tried to think of something to tell him. She couldn't tell him the entire truth. He would kill her if he found out she only came to Seattle to help people capture him and torture him until he dies.

"Lisa." He said sternly as he lifted her chin up with one finger. "Why are you here?"

"I was at work, I stayed late, as usual," she told him in a tearful voice, "my father hadn't called me all day and I was worried. I tried calling him but the calls kept going to his voicemail." She looked up at Jackson and he nodded for her to continue. "So I decided to drive by his house, the door was open and I went inside. The house was a wreck and there was blood…" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as more tears escaped from her eyelids. Everything she had told him was true. It would soon be time to start lying. "And there was a video. They recorded my father being kidnapped and they said they would kill him if I went to the police." Jackson believed her so far. Time to see if he will believe a lie. "I've been trying to find them. In the video, one of them said something about Seattle. It was my only lead. So I came here." Jackson leaned his head back, absorbing everything she said. He was obviously going to take mental notes on her story and she had to make sure she never changes it.

"This wasn't my first stop, though," Lisa continued. "An unknown source told me I could find you in a prison in Ohio. I thought maybe you might know something. Actually, I thought you were behind the entire thing." Jackson flinched as if she had slapped him. "I got to the prison, and guess what? No Jackson Rippner. At least, not the real one." She looked up at him accusingly and he tilted his head to the side.

"Wasn't my doing." He said without an ounce of sympathy. He might not have arranged for the exchange to happen but he certainly didn't care about an innocent man rotting in his place. That much was evident.

"So, I came here," Lisa said. "It didn't lead me to the kidnappers but I guess it wasn't a total loss." Jackson raised an eyebrow at her. "I found you." She explained.

Jackson clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and twisted one side of his lips upward. "I wouldn't consider that a good thing, Leese. I can't have you leading anyone to me."

Lisa looked at him fearfully and recoiled. Her eyes widened and she suddenly wished she had taken off running. He was going to kill her.

"Please, Jackson, don't. I just want my father back. I won't tell anyone you're here. I promise. Just let me go and I'll forget this ever happened." Lisa begged. She was far too weak to fight him and she knew he would win. It was best to beg. It was her only option.

"This can only end two ways, Leese." He said in a matter of fact tone. "One, I kill you and dump your body in the ocean and continue my journey."

A loud sob escaped from Lisa. She looked around her surroundings and wondered how far she could get before he would catch her.

"Two," he continued and ignored her cries. "I take you with me and let you live until I get tired of you."

Lisa looked at him with hopeful eyes. _Option two please_, her mind screamed. She would much rather be stuck with Jackson instead of dead. "I think I prefer the second option."

Jackson nodded his head and grasped her head with his hands. "There's just one problem, Leese."

Lisa trembled and wished he would let go of her. He had each hand on the sides of her face and it was making her uncomfortable. "What?"

"You're not an honest person. I don't trust you." He said harshly.

Another tear poured down her cheek. "I didn't lie about my father."

"I know. But I'm not entirely sure about the rest. I should kill you. Every part of me wants to." He felt Lisa quiver underneath his touch but he didn't stop speaking. "It's taking a great deal of strength to stop myself from hurting you right now." Lisa tried backing away but he just tightened his hold on her. "Somewhere deep, and I mean deep deep down, something is telling me I may need you for future use."

"Jackson," Lisa said in a shaky voice, "please. I am begging you, please, let me go."

"I can't." Jackson snapped. "I told you, Leese, I don't trust you. I don't know what led you here but I don't believe your story about overhearing anyone talk about Seattle. I think you were sent in infiltrate me."

Lisa shook her head profusely. "No."

"Don't lie to me." He growled.

"I'm not." Lisa gently tugged on the collar of his shirt and looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "I swear. I just want my father back. I don't want to hurt you. What happened five months ago, that's in the past. It's history and I don't care about it anymore." She slowly slipped one hand over Jacksons, which was still resting on the side of her face, and tried to slide his hand off of her. It didn't work. So she kept her hand on his and her other hand was still playing with his collar. "I wish the people that kidnapped my father were dead." She said as she gritted her teeth. "I hate them. You have no idea, I…God, I just want my life to go back to normal. I want my dad. I want…" She sighed and shook her head. "I want this is end."

Something inside of Jackson changed. A strange emotion flickered in his eyes and he relaxed his posture. Something Lisa said made me him less tense.

"Try anything stupid," he warned, "and I'll kill you without a second thought."

Lisa nodded her head. "Okay. I promise, I'm not going to do anything."

"I'm probably going to regret this." He muttered to himself. He looked her up and down and inhaled deeply. "What the hell happened to you?" She wondered when he would finally ask her that.

Lisa frowned and shrugged her shoulders. "I was mugged. Happened about an hour ago."

Jackson laughed and Lisa stared at him with venom in her eyes.

"I'm glad that amuses you." She said bitterly.

Jackson sobered quickly and pushed his hair back. "You've had a rough week."

"You have no idea." Lisa replied solemnly.

Jackson glanced around the area and looked as though he were on high alert. "Let's go." He grabbed her arm and pulled her along.

"Thank you." Lisa said sincerely.

Jackson looked at her with a confused expression on his face. "For?"

"Not killing me."

Jackson gave her a look that said 'don't be so sure about that'. "The night isn't over yet, Leese. I'm sure you can manage to piss me off enough to put a bullet through that pretty little head of yours."

"Ow!" Lisa hissed as she walked on her twisted ankle. Jackson was walking far too fast and it was painful to keep up.

Jackson froze and exaggerated a sigh, "Am I going to have to carry you?"

Lisa shot him a dirty look. "No. I'm a big girl, I'll live."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." The way he said that sent a chill down her spine.

"Do you still want to kill me, Jackson?" Might as well be straight forward, she thought.

Jackson leaned his head back and rubbed his temples. "I don't know." He answered honestly. "We need to hurry up. Pack your bags and…"

"Can't," Lisa interrupted him. "The mugger took my purse. Everything was inside. My hotel key, Ids, credit cards and my phone. I can't get back inside the hotel without the room key."

"We'll just leave now, then." Without warning, Jackson picked Lisa up and started walking.

"Put me down! I said I can walk!"

"You're too slow. We're almost to the car so shut up."

Lisa groaned and wished she could hit him.

"Where are we going?" She asked him.

He didn't say a word.

It took less than five minutes for Jackson to carry Lisa to his car. He shoved her in the front passenger seat before getting in the car and driving to an unknown location.

* * *

**Please review!**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Thanks for taking the time to review!! I hope you'll like this chapter better than the last.**

* * *

Lisa's head smacked against the window as Jackson swerved the car. Her eyes popped open and she looked around in confusion. Memories flooded back to her: Jackson carrying her to his car, the torturous silent car ride, getting tired and drifting off to sleep.

Her eyes flickered to the clock and she noted it was a little after three am. Apparently Jackson hadn't even stopped the car to get some sleep. He was probably going to kill them. Why had they swerved? Was he falling asleep?

Lisa opened her mouth to ask him when she saw a deer scamper off into the forest. That answered her question. She wondered if he swerved to avoid injuring the poor animal or if he was more concerned about not damaging his car.

Everything about Jackson was a mystery. When she thought about it, she realized she didn't know one personal fact about him, aside from his name and occupation. She wasn't certain if the man she met in the airport was a façade or if he let his true colors show on the plane. He could also be neither. She definitely wasn't the same person as she was at work. At least not on the inside. Her exterior was calm, sweet and patient. But on the inside, she was frightened, sad and lonely.

A loose strand of hair fell in front of her eyes and she was about to brush it back when she felt a restraint against her wrists. She looked down at her lap and saw she was handcuffed.

"What the…?" She tried lifting her arms but she couldn't. The handcuffs were tied down with a piece of rope wrapped around the lever underneath the seat which it's only purpose was supposed to be to either move the seat forward or backward.

She twisted her heard towards Jackson and glared at him. "Why am I handcuffed?"

"Silly question, Leese." Jackson replied solemnly without taking his eyes off the road.

"This isn't necessary. I have no where to go."

Jackson turned his head to look at her. "You think it's to prevent you from escaping?"

His free hand trailed up his neck and lingered over a round scar. Lisa sunk back into her seat and sighed. Of course, he thought she would attack him when the opportunity struck.

"You know I only did that to save innocent lives." She mumbled after several minutes of silence.

Jackson remained quiet and it was making Lisa uncomfortable. She wasn't the type of person who enjoyed being around loud noise but the silence was unbearable. She could literally feel the tension between them.

"So," Lisa began speaking in hopes of dissolving the uneasiness, "are you going to tell me where we're going?"

"No." Jackson answered without missing a beat.

Lisa grumbled lowly. "Why not?

Jackson shrugged his shoulders. "It's a secret."

"What's the point? I'll figure it out eventually. We're going to pass signs and I can read."

"Congratulations." He said dryly

Lisa felt like calling him a jackass but decided against it. It wouldn't help the situation. She stared out the window and noticed they were only traveling on back roads with minimal traffic. There were nothing but trees surrounding them. In a way, she enjoyed this. Being away from the city. It was so calm and peaceful. She leaned her head against the window and peered up into the sky. The sky was clear and the stars were beaming brightly. It was amazing. There was so much mystery in the universe and she loved to just pause and gaze at the stars whenever she could. It made her feel there was hope. There had to be something else out there.

Her eyes were wide and childlike as she admired the scenery. She suddenly had a feeling that she was being watched and turned her head to face Jackson. His eyes quickly shifted away from her and she felt awkward. This brought her back to reality and she straightened herself up in the seat.

She glanced at the clock once again and cleared her throat. "Aren't you tired?"

Jackson followed her eyes to the clock and shook his head. "No."

"Are you su…" She cut off in mid sentence and laughed at herself. How many times had she heard that question? How many times had she gotten frustrated when her fathers questions were always followed by a 'Are you sure?'

The corner of Jackson's mouth twitched upward but he quickly got it under control and slipped back into his cold straight face. "I sleep during the day and travel at night." He abruptly turned to look at her. "You're going to have to fall into the same routine because I am not cutting you loose when I sleep." He eyed the handcuffs around her wrists so she would understand what he was saying. His attention went back to the road and he continued talking. "It'll be quite boring to stay wide awake all day while you're restrained and unable to have any form of entertainment, and then try to sleep when I'm up and about."

Lisa scoffed. "I think I'll be restrained regardless if you're awake or not."

Jackson shook his head. "That's up to you."

Lisa raised an eyebrow and tried to lift her hands as high as she could towards Jackson. "Prove it."

Jackson sighed. "You know that's not what I meant. You have to earn it."

"And how do I do that?"

"Being honest would be a start."

Lisa leaned her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. A memory flashed back to her and she turned to look at Jackson. "You never lie?"

"Never." He confirmed.

"Mmm. So you killed your parents?"

That grabbed his attention. He snapped his head towards her and lowered his brows. "Excuse me?"

"In the airport," she tried reminding him, "you told me you killed your parents right after you told them about your displeasure with your name."

Jackson turned his head back to the road and visibly relaxed. "That was a joke, Leese. There's a difference between joking and making up stories."

"Oh." She stayed quiet for a few minutes to think. He looked so tense and angry when she asked if he killed his parents. _That's not exactly a normal reaction._ "Are they still alive?"

Jackson sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Are you hungry? There's a gas station a few miles ahead. You can grab something to eat."

_Hmm, so he clearly didn't want to talk about his parents._ But she still wanted to know exactly how dangerous he is. "No, I'm not hungry. But thanks."

"Well, we need gas anyway. Let me know if you change your mind."

Did he just say '_we_' need gas? This conversation was far beyond odd. There was something strange about the way Jackson and Lisa were with each other. The way they talked to each other, it was almost as if they actually knew each other.

"Jackson," Lisa waited for him to focus his full attention on her to continue. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and she took that as a sign to continue. "What do you…" She took a deep breath and tried again. "What…how long to do plan on keeping me?"

"Until I trust you. Which would probably translate into forever."

Lisa lowered her head and felt tears spring to her eyes. "Am I ever going to get my father back?"

Jackson continued looking at her from the corner of his eyes, even though his face was still hard and conveyed no emotion, his eyes told a different story. He felt genuine sympathy for her.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." He wasn't trying to comfort her. He was simply telling the truth. "He was taken for a reason." He paused for a brief moment and looked at her accusingly. "You know why."

Lisa gave him an innocent look but he could see right through her. "No, I don't. I told you, I went to the house and…"

Jackson shook his head and tightened his hands around the steering wheel. "Don't. I think you're forgetting who you're talking to. I know how they operate. They want something from you, and I'm fairly certain it's me."

Lisa grunted in annoyance and tried brushing her hair back but the handcuffs wouldn't allow it.

"Don't bother denying it," Jackson continued. "You don't have to confirm it either, I know it's true. I can tell you this, though," he said as he turned onto a main road and drove towards a gas station, "it won't work. Nothing you say or do will trick me into falling into their trap. I put the only person I care about first. And that's me. I'd have to be head over heels madly in love with you to give them my life." He pulled into the gas station and looked at her. "Don't expect that to happen."

He shut off the engine and unbuckled his seatbelt before opening the door but stay seated. "Need anything? We're not stopping for another five hours."

"Do you trust me enough to let use me the restroom?"

Jackson responded by leaning over her and taking her handcuffs off. The moment they were off, she rubbed her wrists and hissed. They were raw and red. Jackson gently touched the sensitive area and she grimaced.

"Sorry." He grabbed handcuffs and put them inside the glove department. "We'll avoid using these for the rest of the night." He lifted her chin up slowly and made her look into his eyes. "As long as you're a good girl. No running, no screaming and definitely no sharp objects."

"I'll do whatever I have to if you never make me wear them again."

Jackson chuckled, "I didn't say never. I said for the rest of the night. I'll bandage you up tomorrow so you won't be as tender the next time."

Lisa lowered her eyes and looked as though she were about to cry.

"Come on," Jackson said as he slid out of the car.

He walked over to the passenger side and held a hand out. Cautiously, she accepted the offer and placed her hand in his. The skin contact shot a chill through her body and she retracted her hand immediately. It was like a child reaching out to pet an animal and then suddenly becoming afraid that it might bite them.

Jackson rolled his eyes and backed away from the car to give her room to get out. She stepped out of the car and screamed in agony. Jackson covered her mouth and looked around. He didn't need for her to draw attention to them.

"My ankle…" She winced leaned into Jackson so she wouldn't put any pressure on her sprained ankle. "I think I should see a doctor."

"Good luck with that." He turned his head to see a man standing a few feet away and staring at them. "Shit."

"You wouldn't let me see a doctor? My ankle is…" Lisa continued talking but Jackson blocked it out. He studied the man a few feet away. The man pulled out a cell phone as he eyed Jackson and Lisa.

"Get back in the car." He demanded.

"What? Why?" She looked over his shoulder and saw the man looking at them suspiciously. "Do you think he's calling the police about a possible abusive boyfriend?"

"More like reporting to an agency about a possible sighting." He replied bitterly.

"You mean, he works with you?"

Jackson glared at her and pushed her into the car. "Stay."

* * *

He slammed the car door shut and stomped over to the man. The man was roughly in his late 20's, a bit chubby, short curly brown hair and chocolate brown eyes.

"Hey George!" Jackson greeted the man as he quickly lowered the phone away from his ear. "How's it going, man?"

George gulped and move his hand holding the phone behind his back. "Hey Jackson. Just, uh…you know, taking a drive."

Jackson smiled at the man. "Long drive."

George looked at the road behind him and Jackson followed his gaze.

"Expecting company?" Jackson asked him.

George looked back over to Jackson and shook his head. "No, no. Just, you know, lookin' 'round."

Jackson pressed his lips together tightly and nodded his head. "I have to say, it's quite a surprise seeing you all the way out here."

George broke eye contact and looked at Lisa inside the car. Jackson moved to the side and blocked his view.

"What are you doing here, George? You wouldn't happen to be following me, would you?"

Once again, George averted his eyes. "I, uh, I should be getting back now."

"Wow," Jackson said enthusiastically, "you drove all the way from Seattle just to get gas? Must be some great gas they have here, huh?"

George turned from him and attempted to get inside his car but Jackson grabbed his arm and stopped him. "You see, I think we may have a bit of a problem here, George. I was under the impression we wouldn't be in this exact situation when I let your wife in on the little secret. How did you find out, George? Hmm? Were you eavesdropping?" Jackson gave him a loud pat on the back. "You know, you really should work on your relationship if you don't trust your wife enough to talk privately with another man for a few minutes."

George yanked his arm back and his weak demeanor quickly faded. "You corrupted her! We risked our lives every time you showed up on our doorstep. I can't keep living in fear. Amanda won't end contact with you so it's up to me to get rid of you." He turned his head to look at the road. "They're coming, Jackson."

Jackson took a step back and was ready to walk back to the car when George shouted, "I told them you had a girl with you. They're going to kill her too." Jackson didn't look surprised by this news and turned to walked away. "Give the little misses my deepest condolences." Jackson froze in place and clenched his jaw. He had heard that line long ago. It was a memory that haunted him for years. He tried to control himself and walk back to the car but he couldn't. He walked back to George and slammed his fist against the mans jaw.

George stumbled backwards and rubbed his jaw. "I hope you suffer as they kill you, you son-of-a-bitch!"

* * *

Lisa watched the scene unfold in front of her. First, Jackson looked friendly when he approached the man. Then, she watched him punch the man in the face. _What the hell is going on?_

Jackson slid into the car and took off speeding.

"What is going on? Who was that?" Lisa demanded. She was met with silence but she wasn't going to accept it this time. "Jackson, tell me what's going on! Now!"

Jackson stole a glance at her from the corner of his eye and exhaled deeply. "Betrayal."

"Betrayal?" Lisa noticed he was driving 70 miles an hour and decided it would be smart to fasten her seatbelt. "Could you be more specific?"

"No." He snapped.

"Is he from the agency? They told me they were lea…" Lisa gasped and covered her mouth. She couldn't believe she let that slip. Jackson told her he knew that the agency sent her but there was no way he could be certain. He was speculating earlier but now it was confirmed. She basically admitted what he already knew but still, now that he knew it was fact, he might react badly.

Jackson snapped his head towards her and slammed on the brake. "What did you say?"

Lisa pressed her body against the door and thought about throwing the door open to escape him but it would be pointless. She couldn't even stand on her sprained ankle without shrieking in pain. There was no way she would be able to out run him. "I'm sorry. You have to understand, I just wanted to get my father back." Her eyes filled with tears and tried to blink them back. "I've been living in a nightmare these past few days. I kept getting calls demanding me to do things and to go places and he kept threatening to kill my dad. They honestly did record his kidnapping and it was so brutal. They're capable of doing anything to him. They're relentless and I despise them." She couldn't prevent the tears that now rolled down her cheeks. "They're going to kill him and it's my fault. If I had just held onto my purse tighter. Or if I left earlier or waited around a little longer. I wouldn't be here right now, you wouldn't have seen me and you'd be alone right now. Now they probably think I warned you and they're going to kill him."

She sobbed against the window and Jackson started driving again. She turned her head to face him and wrinkled her forehead. "What are you doing? Aren't you going to kill me?"

He opened the glove department and pulled out a box of tissues. "Here." He handed her the box and she looked at him incredulously. "I told you, I already knew they contacted you. Besides, I'm not a killer."

"But you worked…"

"Manager, Leese. I don't do the dirty work."

"So, you've never killed anyone before?" That made her feel much better. Her body relaxed and she removed herself from the door.

"I didn't say that." He turned to look at her and watched the panic build up in her eyes. "I'm not a natural born killer but I do what I have to in order to survive. If you do anything to jeopardize my safety, I will kill you without remorse. Just so you know, you're useless to me. I could drop you off here since they already know my whereabouts and leave you to deal with them. I wouldn't expect a kind welcome from them, though. Fortunately for you, I'm not as heartless as you think. As long as you're honest with me, we're on good terms."

He pulled into a populated parking lot for an apartment complex and shut off the engine before facing her. "You have three options: Option one, you knock on one of these doors and ask for help so you can get the sprain taken care of. You can wait for the agency to find you, hope they let you and your father live and work with them to track me down again. Although it's unlikely since you blew it the first time. You're more likely to get a bullet through your head. Option two, I drop you off here and you continue your journey alone and figure out a way to save your father. However this option plays out, that's up to you. Option three, you stay with me and spend the rest of your life on the run. Neither of these options give you your life back. So either way, you're going to make a life altering decision."

Lisa took her time to absorb what he had just told her and he waited patiently. "Will you help me find my father?" She whispered so softly he could barely hear her.

"No. I'm trying to stay away from them, not chase after them to save the life of a man I've never met."

More tears poured from her eyes and she leaned closer to him. "What do you have to give up, huh? Do you want to spend you're entire life running? They're going to catch you eventually or one day you'll give up. You're not going to live forever. You probably won't even last much longer if you keep trying to hide from people with high connections. You're lucky you made it this far and I think you know that. If you help me, you can stop them from coming after you. If you kill the man who wants you dead, won't his minions stop searching for you?"

Jackson sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You don't know what you're talking about, Leese."

"You're the only person who can help me. If you don't want to chase after them then at least give me some information so I can do it myself. I'm not giving up. I won't let my father die. There has to be something you know that can help me get my dad back."

"You're willing to put your life in danger for a man who may already be dead?"

"He's not just any man. He's my dad. I would do anything for him. And he's not dead yet. We don't even have to go running in after them. Can't you come up with a plan to sneak in and rescue him? I mean, isn't that part of your job? To make these operations work? You've been doing this for God knows how long, why stop now?"

"A normal woman would just pick one of the three options but you always have to complicate things." He turned the engine on and pulled out of the parking space.

"Where are we going?"

"Colorado."

"What's in Colorado?"

"A guy."

"What guy?"

"A guy with guns."

"Why do you need to see a guy with guns?"

"Lisa?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want me to help you?"

"Yes."

"Then shut up."

Lisa smiled, "You're going to help me? We're going to get my father back?"

Jackson shot her an annoyed look and nodded his head once.

* * *

**Please review!**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Sorry it took longer than usual to update. I spent some of my free time planning out the rest of the story. I've always known how I want this story to end but now I have every detail planned out so the updates should be becoming more frequent.**

* * *

"So," Lisa said after an hour of silence, "who was the guy at the gas station?"

Jackson gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter than usual. "A friend of a friend."

"That's kind of vague." Lisa spoke as she held an ice pack against her sprained ankle. Jackson bought one a few minutes after he sped out of the apartment parking lot. "Is he one of _them_?"

Jackson shook his head, "No. It's a long and boring story."

Lisa looked turned her head in every direction before shrugging her shoulders. "Well, I don't mind holding off on all of these fabulous activities that I'm currently doing to listen to your story. I think I can grin and bear it."

He peeked at her from the corner of his eye and sighed. "His name is George. I met him about seven years ago, when he married a good friend of mine. I never cared for him and vice versa. We tolerated each other for Amanda's sake. I thought he wasn't good enough for her and he thought I was a bad influence." He paused for a moment and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, apparently the story wasn't as long as I thought it would be. That's about it."

Lisa glowered at him. "Oh, come on! There has to be more than that. So, what, he doesn't like you because you're a _bad boy_ and now he suddenly decides to call the agency on you? Just like that? How does he even know what you do?"

Jackson sighed heavily. "If you insist on talking, can we talk about something else?"

Lisa gave him a disappointed look and slumped in her seat. She wanted juicy details. Something to keep her awake. Jackson seemed to have a tendency to shut her out and it was going to create problems. If they're going to work together, they needed to properly communicate with each other.

"At least tell me about your friend. Amanda? I'm shocked you have a female friend."

Jackson raised an eyebrow while taking a sip of water, "Is that so?"

"You don't exactly come across as someone who has had much interaction with the opposite sex." Lisa bit her lip when she realized that statement could be taken in a different context then what she meant. Jackson made it clear that he thought women couldn't think logically and were too emotional when they were on the plane.

Jackson made a gagging sound and spit the water out of his mouth. Lisa doubled over and laughed loudly. She held the side of her stomach and couldn't stop laughing. The sight of Jackson choking on the bottled water and watching the water fly out of his mouth and all over the steering wheel and his lap was too hysterical.

Jackson wiped his mouth and glanced at her. "Are you okay?"

Lisa was still laughing but it was dying down a bit. Who could've imagined that within five months, the man who sat next to her on a plane and threatened to kill her father, would be the same man she is now willingly sitting next to in a car and laughing at?

Lisa sobered and rubbed her watery eyes. "I'm sorry. That was just…" She waved a hand in the air, waiting for a descriptive and appropriate word to spring to her mind. "You know, it…"

Jackson coughed back the urge to laugh at her awkwardness but it didn't go unnoticed by Lisa. "It's okay to laugh or at least relax," Lisa said as she fixed the straps on her dress. The damn straps kept sliding off of her shoulders and it was beginning to get rather annoying. She desperately wanted to slip out of the dress and change into a comfortable outfit. Something she could just lounge around in.

"Just so we're clear on something," Jackson spoke in a serious tone, "I've had _plenty_ of 'interaction' with women."

Lisa found it difficult to smile. Something about his statement made her feel uneasy. She couldn't quite figure out what it was. Perhaps it had to do with the fact she wasn't comfortable talking about sex or sexuality. Of course she thought about sex once in awhile, she is a grown woman after all, but she hadn't openly talked about it in over two years. Anytime someone would joke about something sexual, she would become fidgety and excuse herself from the room.

Lisa pushed her thoughts aside and slipped back into her professional mask. "Okay, I believe you." She said with a forced smile. "So, there's something I can't figure out…about why your agency wants you dead."

"Go on." Jackson urged her to continue.

Lisa searched for the best way to explain what she wanted to say but she decided to just spill it out and not worry about it making it sound perfect. "So, I understand that they're upset that you failed the Keefe job but why would they want to kill you over it? I mean, people make mistakes. There was no guarantee that you could make it work. I'm sure there would've been more opportunities to…take…him out." She struggled with the last words and cringed. Saying that made her sick. The thought of another attempt to assassinate Keefe was unbearable. After everything she did to prevent it from happening the first time, it would be beyond awful to discover her effort to save his life was useless and all she did was delay his pending death. However, she didn't need to worry about his safety anymore. After the first attack, his security made sure it would be nearly impossible for an assassination to take place.

Jackson cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the road. "They've wanted me dead for a long time, Leese. In fact, you actually saved my life that day."

A slight crease appeared between Lisa's brows and she gave Jackson a questioning look. "I don't understand."

"I know you don't. It's complicated."

"Could you please try explaining it to me?"

Jackson glanced over at Lisa and caved in when he saw her pleading eyes. "Try to keep up because I'm not repeating myself."

Lisa nodded her head for him to continue and he cleared his throat once again. "I've known for awhile that Maguire, the man who got me into the agency, wanted me out. I didn't know when he was going to act on his decision but I knew it could happen at any moment. I made you my last assignment. I thought it would be a quick and easy job. Get on the plane, threaten your fathers life and have you call your hotel. Well, you know how that turned out. Anyway, after the job was finished I was going to collect the money and leave before they could figure out that what I was doing. Fortunately, you ruined my plan. You see, if I had accomplished my task, I wouldn't have lasted more than five minutes after leaving the airport. They had decided that that was going to be my last day on Earth. They already had another man lined up to take my place." He paused and rubbed his chin.

"Jason." Lisa whispered. "The man who is posing as you in prison?"

Jackson nodded his head once.

"So," Lisa continued, "if they wanted him to take your spot in the company, why did they send him to prison?"

"You ruined more than just my plans, Leese. You changed everything." He explained. "Because of all the havoc you created, they needed someone to be held responsible. They couldn't let me get caught because I would've ratted them out and the entire agency would've been under investigation. The new guy…"

"Jason." Lisa reminded him.

"Jason knew little to nothing about what we do. New recruits don't know anything. They have no idea what they're getting into. They join without knowing what is happening and when they finally figure it out, they're left with the choice of continuing their initiation or being killed." He spoke the last sentence with venom and disgust.

"That's what happened to you? You were tricked into working for them? You didn't want to be involved in assassinations?" For the first time, Lisa felt genuine sympathy for him. He wasn't some sadistic person who dreamed of torturing and killing people like she had originally thought. He was faced with a life altering ultimatum. His entire life could've turned out completely different if he hadn't been targeted to work as a manger for assassinations. Still, she would have chosen death over being responsible for killing people.

"Something like that." Jackson responded, his voice sounded icy and dangerous.

"When I talked to Jason in the prison," Lisa said as she leaned closer to Jackson. She was too involved in the conversation to notice what she was doing. "He said that Maguire told him that he knew where the man who killed his family was and that's why he was sent to Florida. Was that a lie or…?"

"Every man or woman working at the agency was targeted because they were searching for a hitman or private investigator for their own personal reasons. The agency dug into their past and picked the people with the best potential to work for them. They pretend to know information, or, sometimes they _do_ know the information the person is looking for and that's how it begins. Jason was supposed to kill me under false pretenses. After he killed me, that's when his initiation would begin."

Jackson turned his head to look at Lisa and she was surprised by how much closer he was to her now. Her face turned a light shade of red when she realized that she had been slowly inching towards him during their conversation. She quickly backed away and straightened up in her seat.

She needed to say something to distract him from inquiring about her sudden closeness. "That sounds terrible. So, uh, how did exactly did you get involved with the agency? You said everyone there approached the agency first because they wanted someone dead or wanted to know information."

"That," Jackson's voice switched back to charming Jackson, the Jackson she talked to in the airport, "is a story for another time."

Lisa reluctantly accepted his answer and pressed the ice pack against her ankle. She winced as her skin contacted with the frozen pack. Her ankle was swelling up and looked worse than it did a few hours ago.

"Do you want to go to the hospital?" Jackson asked, his tone full of concern.

Lisa looked a bit taken aback. She wasn't expecting that. "I think that's probably the smartest decision."

He nodded his head in agreement and pulled out a portable GPS navigator. "Why don't you find the nearest hospital?"

He handed the device to Lisa and she tried to figure out how to work it while he continued talking. "We'll check into a hotel in about three or four hours to get some sleep. Depending on how long it takes for you to get in and out of the hospital, we should be able to drive a bit further before finding a hotel. We should leave by 4 pm and we'll arrive in Colorado the next early or mid afternoon."

* * *

Lisa eventually figured out how to work the GPS navigator and they arrived at the hospital within 20 minutes. The doctor prescribed some painkillers and put her in a walking boot. By the time they left the hospital, it was nearly time to find a hotel. They drove for another 45 minutes before finding a suitable hotel to stay in.

Jackson got a room with two queen sized beds and a television. It didn't take long for Jackson to drift off to sleep. He was exhausted from the long drive and desperately needed eight to ten hours of sleep to continue their trip.

Lisa, on the other hand, was finding it difficult to fall asleep. The excitement of what was happening kept her up. Less than 24 hours ago, she was following the commands of a psychopathic assassin on a phone. Now, she was lying in a bed across from Jackson Rippner. It amazed her how quickly Jackson went from threatening to kill her to telling her she was his prisoner and then to becoming his partner in crime. How long had it been since their reunion? Less than 12 hours.

Lisa stared at the ceiling as a million thoughts rushed through her mind. Slowly, her eyes began to grow heavy and eventually they closed. The last image in her head before falling asleep was familiar blue eyes.

* * *

**Please Review!**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Thanks for all the reviews! I love all of them! Sorry it took so long to update. I've been busy with school and family. **

**MeggyandHaku** - **I haven't forgotten about the other stories! They're on hold for a few more weeks but I do intend to finish all of them!**

**Please review, thanks!**

* * *

The day went by fairly quickly and they were now on the road towards Colorado. Lisa didn't wake up until after 2 pm and it made her a bit grouchy. She hated waking up in the afternoon. She felt like she missed out on so much. Not that she would've gotten anything done if she had stayed up all day. She wasn't exactly Jackson's prisoner but she still wasn't free to do whatever she wanted. Jackson was in charge of the plans and she was simply following him like a lost puppy.

The trip was quiet for the most part but neither one minded. The silence wasn't uncomfortable anymore. Now, Jackson focused on driving and Lisa stared out of the window while listening to the radio. She was no longer in her black cocktail dress. Jackson was kind enough to buy her an outfit to wear for the rest of the drive. He promised to buy her some more clothes once they reach their destination.

Lisa still couldn't get over the fact that their relationship quickly changed from enemies to business partners. There was no hint of friendship forming but they were comfortable in each other's presence and that was good enough.

"So," Jackson spoke in a booming voice that startled Lisa, "are you hungry?"

As if on cue, her stomach growled and she bit her bottom lip. "I guess so."

"Where to? Applebee's? Olive Garden? Red Lobster?"

"Wait…you want to go to an actual restaurant? In _public_?" She asked incredulously.

Jackson nodded his head. "Why not?"

Lisa wrinkled her forehead and wondered if Jackson had forgotten about their current situation. "Um, gee, I don't know. Maybe because there are professional killers after us and making a public appearance isn't the best way to hide?"

Jackson smiled but within a split second, his face went deadly serious. He tilted his head towards her and their eyes locked. "You need to look like you're in danger."

Lisa blinked. "What?"

"Do exactly as I say." His voice had no trace of humor, he was one-hundred percent serious. "When we pull into the parking lot, I want you to look scared, like you're here against your will. Don't smile and only look at me with fear. Cower away from me every time I get close to you. Give the waitress or waiter a pleading look. Near the end of the meal, I want you to beg me to let you use the restroom. Once you're inside, use your creativity and leave a message on the wall or mirror. Don't give away too much information. Just write that you've been kidnapped and your name is Lisa. That's it. Then, walk out of the restroom and look at the first person you see, try to talk to them. Approach them and ask for help, I will then grab you and throw you into the car. I won't be gentle about it. So I apologize now."

Lisa had confusion written all over her face. "Why?"

Jackson sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's part of the plan. Just do it."

"You already have a plan? Why didn't you tell me earlier? What's the rest of it?"

"I don't have it all figured out yet. I'm taking it one step at a time. Just do as I say and we'll get your father back." Jackson paused for a few seconds and looked at the sign on the side of the road that listed all of the upcoming restaurants. "Where do you want to go?"

Lisa glanced at the sign as they passed it and shrugged. "I don't know. I don't care." She spoke so fast that her words sounded meshed together. "I want to know more about this plan. You can't just shut me out and demand that I do something without consulting me first. I want to know everything you know."

Jackson looked at her curiously as his the corner of his lips tugged upward.

"What?" Lisa asked, annoyed.

Jackson shook his head and gave her a strange look. "Nothing."

"No, not nothing. What are you thinking?" She demanded.

He shrugged his shoulders causally. "I was just trying to figure out when you became my wife."

"Your wife? What?"

Jackson laughed at her bewildered expression. "Do you listen to yourself when you talk?"

Lisa rolled her eyes. "We're in this together, Jackson. I need to know what you're planning _before_ you decide to act on it. A little preparation would be helpful."

Jackson clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "No can do."

Lisa groaned in aggravation and dramatically threw her head against the headrest. "Why not?!"

"Because your performance would be fake. Let it come naturally without any practice. The more confused and frustrated you are, the better."

Lisa lowered her head into her palms and growled. "That doesn't make any sense!" She mumbled against the palm of her hands.

"It's time." He looked over at her as he pulled into the parking lot. "Good. Act the way you are now and you'll be outstanding."

Lisa removed her hands from her face and glowered at him.

"Even better." He commented when he saw her death stare. "Let's get this show on the road, kid."

Lisa felt like reaching over and slapping the silly smirk off of his face. "You suck."

Jackson stepped out of the car and walked over to Lisa's side to help her out of the car. He grabbed her arm roughly and she yanked it back.

"Ow!" Lisa shouted at him.

Jackson no longer looked smug and playful. He had his evil mask on now. "Let's go." He said harshly.

Lisa was taken back by his hard voice but she knew it was game time. She stepped out of the car and let Jackson lead her towards the restaurant. Olive Garden. He chose Olive Garden.

"Kid?" Lisa whispered to him, regarding the last thing he said to her in the car. He tightened his grip on her elbow as they approached the doors. "What are you, like 6 months older than me?"

Jackson glared at her and whispered under his breath. "Two years older."

"Oh, wow, you must feel like a big boy now. Two whole fuc…" And she tripped. It wasn't an accident either. Jackson purposely placed his foot in front of her and waited for her tumble to the ground before jerking her back up.

Lisa cringed and smacked Jackson against his chest. "Dammit, Jackson! You know my ankle is sprained!"

He didn't say anything as he led her inside the restaurant. He peeked at an elderly couple staring at him and smiled to himself. The more witnesses, the better.

* * *

Lisa did as instructed. She cowered away from Jackson and looked repulsed when his skin came into contact with hers. The waitress looked concerned and tried speaking to Lisa with her body language. Lisa looked at her with wide eyes full of fright and indicated towards Jackson several times. The waitress even slipped Lisa a note, asking if she were okay. Lisa read it and shook her head vehemently.

Jackson silently applauded Lisa's performance but he was becoming increasingly worried that the waitress would call the police so he told Lisa not to over do it. He kicked her foot underneath the table when it was time for her to make her escape to the restroom. Lisa made sure that the waitress overheard her when she pleaded for Jackson to let her use the restroom.

On her way towards the restroom, Lisa grabbed a crayon off of one of the tables. Once inside, she rushed over to the mirror and wrote, "Please help me. I've been kidnapped. My name is Lisa."

The writing was smudged so she decided to write on the wall, also. This time she wrote, "Help me!" in big bold letters.

As Lisa was walking out, she collided into the waitress. The waitress gently pushed Lisa back inside the restroom and Lisa panicked. This wasn't part of the plan. Jackson couldn't grab her from inside the women's restroom.

"Are you alright?" The waitress asked right before her eyes flickered towards the wall the read, 'Help Me!' "Oh, my god. Okay, listen, I already called 911. They're on their way. Just stay in here until they arrive. You'll be safe. I promise."

_Oh on_, Lisa thought. She couldn't ruin the plan and storm out of the restroom and into Jackson's arms. She needed to think quick.

"You don't understand," Lisa said in a shaky voice. "He's going to kill me. The police won't stop him. I need to get out of here right now."

Lisa pushed passed the waitress but she grabbed Lisa's arm. "No. He's right outside the door!"

Lisa gulped. "It's okay. I have a knife. Once he brings me to the car, I'll stab him. I can do it."

The waitress shook her head. "Wait for the police. They'll take care of this."

Lisa opened her mouth to speak when the door opened and Jackson barged in. He captured Lisa around the waist and dragged her out of the restroom. "What were you doing?" Jackson whispered in her ear.

The waitress ran after them and was about to shout but the sound of sirens in the background made her pause.

Jackson and Lisa both froze when they heard the sirens. But only for a second. Jackson literally ran towards the car and dragged Lisa behind him. He opened the car door and pushed her inside. The sirens became louder and louder and Jackson could see red and blue luights flashing down the street. He ran to the drivers seat and sped out of the parking lot. Once he got onto the main road, he slowed down so he wouldn't look suspicious. Fortunately, the cops passed them and entered the Olive Garden parking lot.

"Someone probably jotted down the license plate number. We need to switch cars."

Lisa felt like she was having an anxiety attack and found it difficult to breathe.

A look of concern appeared on Jackson's face. "Are you okay?"

"Did you know that the waitress would call the cops when you came up with your stupid plan?!" Lisa spat out the words between sharp breaths.

"Of course." Jackson replied quickly.

Lisa shot him an evil look but he brushed it off.

"I didn't except you to be so convincing." He admitted. "You were supposed to look worried but you went all out."

"Oh, so this is _my_ fault?" Lisa shouted at him.

"I'm not placing blame on anyone, Leese."

"Did this benefit your plan? The police getting involved?"

"It helps a great deal, actually."

Lisa raised her eyebrows. "How? Will you tell me what we're doing?"

"Not yet."

Lisa sighed. "Please?"

Jackson shook his head.

"_Please_!"

He rolled his eyes and turned the volume on the radio up so he couldn't hear her speak. Lisa folded her arms across her chest and pouted like a child.

* * *

Many hours later, Lisa and Jackson had already abandoned the car and took off in a stolen vehicle. They were minutes from their destination now and the tension between them was thicker than ever.

A radio announcement made them both stiffen in their seats and their ears perked up.

"Police are searching for a woman in her early to mid twenties who goes by the name Lisa. She was last seen with a man believed to be her kidnapper at an Olive Garden in…"

They listened intently and once the announcement was finished, Lisa turned her head to face Jackson for the first time since they left the restaurant. "Is that good or bad?"

"Both." Jackson replied sullenly.

"Why both?"

"Well, it's bad because we aren't only hiding from my former company anymore and the cops will eventually figure out your identity, along with the fact that your father is also missing. Now I'm going to have to change a few things to make the timeline work appropriately. It's going to get complicated."

Lisa shifted her eyes. "And it isn't already complicated?"

Jackson shook his head. "Not compared to how it's about to become."

Lisa sighed. "Great. So, what's the good part?"

Jackson clinched his jaw and avoided eye contact. "I can't tell you."

Lisa threw her arms up in the air and they crashed back down on her lap with a smacking sound. She breathed heavily out of her nose and shook her head angrily.

"Be patient, Leese."

"You know what?" She spoke loudly. "I think I'm going to come up with a few plans of my own and keep you in the dark until the last minute."

"You do that." Jackson said with boredom clear in his voice.

A couple minutes later Jackson pulled into a parking lot in front of a small shop. "We're here."

"What would you like me to do?" Lisa asked him. "Should I wait in the car? Or maybe run in screaming like a lunatic? Do you want me to draw all over his wall? What should I do, Jackson? You control me, right?"

Jackson turned the engine off and pulled the keys out of the ignition. "Just don't talk, okay?"

Lisa bit her bottom lip until her teeth punctured a wound and blood seeped out. Jackson got out of the car and walked onto the sidewalk. He turned to look back inside the car and saw Lisa still sitting there, looking extremely pissed off. He motioned for her get out of the car but she turned her head away from him and folded her arms across her chest. Jackson sighed and stomped over to her side of the car. Lisa quickly pressed down on the lock button so he couldn't open the door.

Jackson knocked on the window. "Unlock the door, Leese."

Lisa turned her head away from him once again. Jackson shook his head and sighed. "Fine. You can rot in here."

He spun on his heel and went inside the shop. Lisa waited in the car for a good twenty minutes before she finally got fed up and got out of the car. She reluctantly entered the tiny shop and saw Jackson leaning over a counter filled with guns and talking to the clerk.

The clerk was a big man. At least 6'5" and close to 300 pounds. He had a long black beard and tattoos on both of his upper arms. His voice was deep but he spoke gently.

Jackson turned his head to see Lisa approach him. "It's about time." He told her in a friendly tone. That only made Lisa even more angry.

"Lisa, this is a good buddy of mine, Olgert Capucilli. Olgert, this the woman I was telling you about."

Olgert shook her hand and gave her a weak smile. His attention shifted back to Jackson. "How long will you be in town?"

Jackson shrugged his shoulders. "A day or two."

Olgert nodded his head once. "It's best to leave as quickly as you can."

Jackson stuffed something inside his back pocket and grabbed a big silver case on the counter. "Tell Mindy and the kids I said hi." Jackson told the man as he turned to leave.

"Take care of yourself, Rippner."

Jackson glanced back at his friend and smiled. "You know me."

Olgert scoffed. "Exactly."

Jackson led Lisa out of the shop and once they were outside, she turned to face him. "That's it?"

Jackson raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah."

Lisa walked in front of him towards the car but he stopped her. "We're leaving that here." He pointed towards an black SUV. "We're taking that."

"Lovely." Lisa said and started to walk towards the SUV.

"And Leese?" Jackson called from behind her.

She slowly spun around. "Yeah?"

"Once we get to the hotel, I'll tell you all about the plan."

Lisa tried her hardest not to smile but she was unsuccessful. "Really?"

"Really." He confirmed.

Lisa was suddenly in a better mood and practically hopped towards the SUV.

* * *

Once they were settled inside their hotel room, Jackson motioned for Lisa to take a seat at the small round table.

"You're not going to like this but it's our only chance to defeat them and get your dad back."

"Okay, go on." Lisa urged.

Jackson took a seat to her and looked her straight in the eyes. "I'm sending you back."

Lisa's face paled. "What? You're not handing me over to those guys, are you? Please tell me I misheard you."

"I told you that you wouldn't like it."

Lisa tried to stand up but Jackson pushed her back down and scooted closer to her. "We have 24 hours to go over this. Listen carefully. Do not screw this up."

"The scene at Olive Garden," Lisa said, "that was to get their attention, wasn't it? To make it look like you really did kidnap me? So it wouldn't look like I just left with you?"

Jackson nodded his head. "It's the only way they won't kill you. You're going to pretend you escaped from me and you're going to tell them exactly what I'm about to tell you. Got it?"

Lisa exhaled and closed her eyes. "Okay. What do you want me to do?"

* * *

**Please review!**


End file.
